Legal Mandate: Google Ordered to Simplify Installation of Competing App Stores

In a recent court hearing in San Francisco, Judge James Donato has ruled that Google must make it easier for users to install rival app stores on Android. This decision comes after years of legal battles between Epic Games and Google over Android app distribution.

Nearly three years ago, a jury found Google guilty of having an illegal monopoly over Android apps. Judge Donato’s solution to breaking this monopoly was to allow rival Android app stores to be included within Google’s own Play Store. He also mandated that rivals should have complete access to Google’s full catalog of apps for several years.

However, Epic Games argued that Google was still making it difficult for users to install rival app stores. Judge Donato agreed, calling some of the steps unnecessary “anticompetitive friction,” and ordered Google to remove them.

During the court session, Epic’s lawyer demonstrated how many steps it currently takes to install rival app stores, highlighting the inefficiency of the process. Judge Donato was not pleased to see that no third-party app stores appeared when searching the Play Store for “store for apps,” leading him to order Google to rectify this issue.

Judge Donato also raised concerns about the extra steps users have to take to install a third-party app store, such as having to press a “view” button before the “install” button. He compared this to the user experience on Apple Music and ordered Google to simplify the process by making the “view” button an “install” button.

Furthermore, Judge Donato criticized Google for not displaying third-party app stores in search results and instead redirecting users to a dedicated page. This practice could deter established companies like Amazon from launching their app stores. Donato ordered Google to rectify this issue and questioned the necessity of the current search results display.

Google’s attorney defended the current setup, citing advanced permissions for app stores. However, Judge Donato dismissed this argument, stating that the warning on the app store page was sufficient. He emphasized the need to streamline the process and eliminate unnecessary friction.

Judge Donato urged Google to implement these changes promptly, setting a deadline of one week. He emphasized the importance of improving the user experience and removing any obstacles to installing rival app stores on Android devices.