Last year, Epic Games prevailed in court against Google in an antitrust case that alleged the Google Play Store is an illegal monopoly. Now, Epic has filed another lawsuit against Google that accuses the company of colluding with Samsung in order to make it difficult for users to install the Epic Games Store on their mobile devices.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney made the announcement on X, and his company posted a lengthy explanation for the case on Epic’s official site. Essentially, Epic claims that Google directed Samsung to use its Auto Blocker feature to force anyone who attempts to get the Epic Games Store app to go through several unnecessary steps to download it on their phones.
We’ve filed new antitrust and Unfair Competition Law claims against Google and Samsung. A jury found Google’s practices illegal and we’re concerned that Google is encouraging Android hardware makers and carriers to adopt and continue Google’s unlawful practices in advance of the… https://t.co/gBRFYgripd
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 30, 2024
While the ease of downloading and using the Epic Games Store app is a big part of the case, the larger issue between Google and Epic is over the 30% fees the former charges for games and apps sold through Google Play. Epic has had the same issue with Apple’s App Store, but without prevailing in its court case against Apple itself. The Epic Games Store allows Epic to set its own prices and serve as a competitor to both Google Play and the App Store.
Via The Verge, Sweeney told journalists that Epic doesn’t have proof of collusion between Google and Samsung, but he hopes it will emerge if the case goes to discovery. He also indicated that Epic and Samsung were in discussions about “whitelisting” the Epic Games Store and other legitimate apps so they could sail through the Auto Blocker feature without making users jump through so many hoops. The new lawsuit was filed after those talks broke down.
“Contrary to Epic Game’s assertions, Samsung actively fosters market competition, enhances consumer choice, and conducts its operations fairly,” said a Samsung spokesperson via CNET. “The features integrated into our devices are designed in accordance with Samsung’s core principles of security, privacy, and user control, and we remain fully committed to safeguarding users’ personal data. Users have the choice to disable Auto Blocker at any time. We plan to vigorously contest Epic Game’s baseless claims.”
Barring any settlement talks between the three companies, this case could be heading back to court. But there isn’t currently a timetable for that to happen.
