31 votes

US Supreme Court allows order forcing Google to make app store reforms

Posted by riQQ
Tags: google.play, android, usa, courts.supreme, supreme court of the united states, digital distribution, apps, legal, lawsuits, business, epic.games, author.mike scarcella, source.reuters, paywall
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-supreme-court-allows-order-forcing-google-make-app-store-reforms-2025-10-06/

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Authors
Mike Scarcella
Published
Oct 6 2025
Word count
461 words

5 comments

  1. [3]
    DFGdanger
    Link
    This part is still really strange to me. If I buy Google Play's listing of an app from the Epic Games Store, who gets a cut? Can Epic alter the price? Set their own sales? Does Epic mirror all the...

    make Play's app catalog available to competitors

    This part is still really strange to me. If I buy Google Play's listing of an app from the Epic Games Store, who gets a cut? Can Epic alter the price? Set their own sales? Does Epic mirror all the files and thus pay for the bandwidth costs for downloads and updates, or is it just more of a pointer to Google's servers?

    10 votes
    1. [2]
      teaearlgraycold
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      I assumed this means they can download a list of what's on the Play Store, not sell things sold there by proxy.

      I assumed this means they can download a list of what's on the Play Store, not sell things sold there by proxy.

      12 votes
      1. vord
        Link Parent
        Which would also enable them to reach out to devs and offer them terms to offer on their store instead (ala Epic giving away free games on PC).

        Which would also enable them to reach out to devs and offer them terms to offer on their store instead (ala Epic giving away free games on PC).

        9 votes
  2. riQQ
    Link

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to halt key parts of a judge's order requiring Alphabet's Google to make major changes to its app store Play, as the company prepares to appeal a decision in a lawsuit brought by "Fortnite" maker Epic Games.

    The injunction issued last year by U.S. District Judge James Donato requires Google to allow users to download rival app stores within its Play store and make Play's app catalog available to competitors. Those provisions do not take effect until July 2026.
    The judge also said Google must allow developers to include external links in apps, enabling users to bypass Google's billing system. That part of the injunction is due to take effect later this month.

    7 votes