Epic Is Suing Google And Samsung Over Auto Blocker Feature
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.