Toronto Indy Game Developer Puts Pressure Against Google, Filing Against its Anticompetive Deal With Apple

Toronto-based video game developer Alexander Martin, also known as “droqen”, is putting pressure on Google, accusing the company of anticompetitive tactics within the mobile space.

Martin is pursuing something that typically only larger entities have only attempted to. The indie developer is approching Canada’s Competition Tribunal in an attempt to amend Canada’s Competition Act. Martin believes that Google’s $20 billion deal with Apple, which sees its search engine as the default on iPhone and other devices is anticompetitive, as reported by Toronto Star.

By way of Martin’s complaint, he believes that Google’s annual $20 billion deal is enough to encourage Apple to not develop a competitive search engine to diminish the dominance of Google’s. As such, Martin claims that an estimated 91 percent of the market in Canada (as of 2024) has been subject to Google’s “staggering” monopoly within online search.

“The applicant is forced to adapt his advertising and online presence to be based on what will perform best with specifically Google’s search algorithm,” the filing states. “In a competitive environment, the applicant would not be faced with a single and potentially fickle and capricious overseer of what customers can and cannot see.”

Martin’s goal is to leverage new amendments to the Competion Act, which allow private parties to challenge larger corporations. The case was first brought forth on June 20th of this year. Prior to the changes, only those affected in their buisness could propose such cases to the Tribunal. Martin is asking the Competition Tribunal to ban the exclusivity deal and proceed with forcing Google to pay a monetary amount from the benefits it recieved throughout the deal with Apple.

As of this time, the Tribunal must deliberate on whether to proceed with hearing the case or reject it in the event it feels the law changes are insufficient. For the case to move forward, Martin will need to amass enough evidence for the Tribunal to effeciently wade through. Martin is the only person to file a case under the new amendments.