Epic Games has filed another lawsuit with Google and Samsung. This time, Epic Games is taking a swing against Samsung’s Auto Blocker feature, which prevents the installation of third-party apps and games by default.
Auto Blocker is a feature available on Android devices, including Pixel and Galaxy S series smartphones. First introduced in 2023, Auto Blocker was an opt-in experience to help users differentiate between first and third-party apps. However, it still enables users who wish to sideload apps to do so. In July 2024, Samsung switched Auto Blocker on by default across new devices, preventing apps like Epic Games Store from being installed easily following its launch on mobile.
As first reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Epic Games has filed a legal complaint against the two tech companies in the Northern District of California. Epic calls on Samsung to stop Auto Blocker from being turned on by default. Epic Games also aims to stop Samsung and Google’s “anti-competitive and unfair conduct.” The Fortnite publisher seeks monetary relief damages and legal costs throughout this dispute. The company seeks to setting this in court amongst a jury trial.
Epic Games claims that there is “an exceptionally onerous 21-step process” to sideload an app when Auto Blockers is enabled. This company believes that Auto Blocker is a deterrent and that many users won’t be incentivized to run through the 21 steps to install a third-party app. Epic Games also claims that it takes 12 steps on Android due to the number of warnings.
“As an app developer, Epic is harmed by Samsung’s untruthful statements that its apps are unknown and unsafe,” the company states. “These false statements not only harm Epic’s reputation but lead to identifiable instances of users abandoning the installation of Epic apps, resulting in the lost profits that would have resulted from purchases made by those users.”
It’s unclear whether Epic Games has faced any monetary hits due to Auto Blocker. Since Auto Blockers has been turned on by default, Samsung has only launched the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, with the Galaxy S24 FE on the way.
Epic Games Store has reportedly reached 10 million installs across mobile devices.
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now they move on to Google, lmao they never stop!
Perpetual victims…