In a recent trial, a jury found that Google violated US antitrust laws due to agreements and billing rules that favored its own Google Play app store. Now, a judge is considering potential penalties and changes that could shake up Google’s dominance over the Android universe. The game developer Epic Games, which won the trial against Google, is demanding that the judge prohibit Google from contracts that discourage competition and help competing app stores gain more apps to boost their competitiveness. These changes could allow Epic to process in-game purchases without using Google’s payment system and market games through its own store.
Google argues that Epic’s lawsuits could threaten user security and harm its partners, including Android device makers and app developers. The company is appealing the jury’s verdict, which could delay any sanctions for years or nullify them completely. However, Google has already made costly changes in Europe and Asia due to court losses and new laws affecting the Play Store. The judge, James Donato, made it clear that Google, as an illegal monopoly, will face penalties and must release its control over the Android ecosystem to end its monopoly and eliminate unfair dominance.
Donato expressed frustration with Google’s claims that changes would be bad for consumers and businesses, stating that the new way is not necessarily negative. He spent hours at a hearing questioning economists about how to craft sanctions for Google without being unfair. Epic’s requests include prohibiting Google from preventing companies from working with alternative app stores and requiring Google to provide rival stores with a way to list apps hosted on Google Play for six years to level the playing field.
Overall, these potential changes could lead to more options for consumers and a major shift in the industry built around Google’s Android operating system. The outcome of the trial and the potential penalties could have a significant impact on Google’s dominance and the app store ecosystem.
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https://www.wired.com/story/judge-plans-rein-in-googles-illegal-play-store-monopoly/
