Key Takeaways
- Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against Google and Samsung for blocking competition with Auto Blocker feature that’s on by default on Samsung devices.
- Samsung’s Auto Blocker shifts app store monopoly responsibility to Samsung, circumventing the previous Epic vs. Google case outcome.
- Epic criticizes Google and Samsung’s warning messages on sideloading apps as misleading and alarmist, impacting user experience.
As a long-time gamer with deep roots in the mobile gaming community, I’ve witnessed firsthand the ongoing power struggles between tech giants and game developers like Epic Games. The latest move by Epic against Google and Samsung is a testament to their unyielding spirit and commitment to fair competition.
Epic Games has recently declared they’ve sued tech titans Google and Samsung, alleging unfair and illegal practices. Previously, Epic has shown its readiness to confront big corporations over actions it perceives as damaging to both developers and users. Back in 2020, the gaming firm challenged Apple and Google, asserting that their management of app distribution and payments constituted monopolies that required dismantling.
In the fight against Apple, the judge ultimately decided mostly in favor of the iPhone company, and Epic was hit with a legal bill close to $74 million for Apple’s legal fees. In total, CEO Tim Sweeney estimates that the company spent “hundreds of millions” on the two lawsuits and lost approximately $1 billion in Fortnite revenue. However, Epic did win the antitrust lawsuit against Google in December 2023, with a judge finding that the tech conglomerate had created a monopoly with its deals to install the Google Play app on Android devices by default.
As reported by Epic, Google has devised a method to circumvent the court ruling. In a lawsuit filed on September 30, Epic accuses both Samsung and Google of the Auto Blocker feature installed on Samsung phones. Since July, this feature has been activated automatically on Samsung devices, warning users against installing apps from any source other than the Google Play Store. Disabling the Auto Blocker reportedly involves a complex 21-step process that discourages many users from doing so. Consequently, Android phones only offer Google Play and Samsung’s Galaxy Store as easily accessible app markets.
Epic Games Protests Samsung’s Auto Blocker Feature
With this action by Samsung, Google can sidestep the decision in its case with Epic, as it passes the control of the app store monopoly onto Samsung. In their latest lawsuit, Epic is requesting the court to acknowledge this fresh challenge to fair competition by deactivating the Auto Blocker by default. Additionally, Epic has revealed an exhibit from the Epic vs Google trial, which shows that Google was prepared to compensate Samsung to prevent other app stores on its devices.
Epic expresses concern over the phrasing of the warning messages when users try to install apps directly from epicgames.com instead of using Google or Samsung app stores. For those new to third-party app installation, the language might trigger alarm with statements like “Your phone isn’t allowed to install unknown apps from this source.” However, Epic argues that apps such as Fortnite are not considered “unknown” by Google.
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2024-09-30 21:23