Google is deciding to appeal a recent court verdict given by US District Judge James Donato in California. Following a legal battle between the Alphabet company and Fortnite creator Epic Games, it was determined that Google’s Play Store and Android must open up and enable third-party app stores.
Following the verdict, Lee-Anne Mulholland, Alphabet’s vice president of regulatory affairs, has posted a statement regarding Google’s appeal. “Apple and Android clearly compete,” the statement opens. “We will appeal and ask the courts to pause implementing the remedies to maintain a consistent and safe experience for users and developers as the legal process moves forward.”
Mulholland and the greater company believe that these changes pose a security risk to Android users and their privacy. The statement goes on to claim that by opening up the Play Store and Android, it’ll make it harder for developers to promote their apps and reduce competition on devices. “Ultimately, while these changes presumably satisfy Epic, they will cause a range of unintended consequences that will harm American consumers, developers and device makers,” the statement reads.
Epic Games took the case to court as it believed Google had too much control over its respective app marketplace. Judge James Donato issued his final ruling over the matter on Monday. Google is now not allowed to pay developers to launch apps exclusively on its Google Play platform starting on November 1st and not again for the next three years. Google is also restricted from forcing developers to use its Goolge Play billing system. Developers must now be allowed to notify users of other methods outside of the Play Store. “The decision ignores what every developer in the world knows — they have to prioritize investing in developing for iPhones and Androids,” Mulholland’s statement reads.
Judge James Donato made the ruling to cover the next three years. Unfortunately, for Epic Games, it didn’t get its full six-year wish. According to Donato, it may have been too far of a stretch. “The provisions are designed to level the playing field for the entry and growth of rivals, without burdening Google excessively,” Donato states in his order. “As competition comes into play and the network effects that Google Play unfairly enjoys are abated, Google should not be unduly constrained as a competitor.”
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney is taking this as a victory. On X (formally Twitter), Sweeney says, “Big news! The Epic Games Store and other app stores are coming to the Google Play Store in 2025 in the USA.” He continues in a follow-up post, “The Court’s injunction applies to the United States only, so the legal and regulatory battle will continue around the world.”
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