In a high-stakes antitrust trial, Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, testified that Google’s Android operating system is a “fake open platform,” Bloomberg is reporting.
The trial aims to address claims that Google stifles competition in the app market.
Sweeney, founder of the company behind Fortnite, testified in San Francisco federal court, accusing Google Play policies of being unlawful.
He contended that these policies allow Alphabet to maintain a monopoly in the Android mobile-app distribution market.
The legal dispute initiated in 2020 when Epic marketed Fortnite on Android, circumventing the Google Play billing system and its 30% revenue cut from app developers.
“We very much wanted to avoid that and do business directly with our customers,” Sweeney informed jurors.
Google refutes allegations of abusing market power. The ongoing jury trial, commenced two weeks ago, is anticipated to conclude in early December.
If Epic succeeds, Google might be compelled to permit competing app marketplaces and payment methods on its app store, potentially impacting billions in revenue from Google Play.
(Image via Bloomberg)
Previously, Sweeney testified in a similar antitrust suit against Apple’s App Store policies, where Epic faced defeat in a federal court in Oakland.
The company now seeks US Supreme Court intervention to review this ruling.
According to Sweeney, Google attempted negotiations with Epic, which he declined, opting instead for “secret” agreements with mobile device makers to maintain Google Play’s dominance.
Initially believing Android was open to developers, Sweeney later realized it was a “fake open platform,” similar to Apple’s App Store in terms of developer policies.
In earlier testimony, Google’s Don Harrison revealed a favorable deal with Spotify involving varied developer fee structures, highlighting Google’s selective discounts to certain companies.
