Epic Games’ legal battle against Google began several years ago, and we finally have a ruling from the judge overseeing the case. This is a decision that would lead historic changes for the Google app store and for the Android operating system in general.
Judge James Donato has issued the final ruling in Epic Games v. Google, ordering several significant changes to how the Android app store operates. In general, The Play Store should be more open than ever: The store must offer access to other application stores developed by third parties and, in addition, allow these stores to access the full catalog of the Play Store.
The Play Store could change forever, but Google will appeal the decision
The judge’s ruling aims to address what he sees as Google’s anticompetitive practices in the Play Store and app distribution. These practices would be does not offer free and easy access to a third-party app store directly in the Play Store, and also blocks alternative payment methods in the Google app store for Android. Epic Games, for example, has its own app store.
Here are the most important changes ordered by the judge in his decision:
- Google will not be able to force developers to use their own payment and billing system in applications distributed via the Play Store
- Google will not be able to prohibit the use of alternative payment methods in the Play Store
- Google must allow developers to include links in their apps that allow downloads outside of the Play Store
- Google You are not allowed to offer incentives to developers to launch their apps exclusively on the Play Storeor to make them available first on the Play Store
- Google is not allowed to offer developers benefits that allow them to offer limited or less complete versions of their apps outside of the Play Store (when the app they distribute on the Play Store is the full version).
- Google is not allowed to offer device manufacturers benefits to include Play Store by default in your products
These are very important changes that could affect, or at least radically change, Google’s business model on the Play Store.
The company You have eight months to implement all these changeswhich must remain active for the next three years. This may seem like a very short amount of time to make such drastic changes to the way Google’s app store operates, but the consequences of these measures could be permanent, or at least very long-lasting, for Google’s business model. software distribution. on Android devices and in general for the ecosystem of this operating system.
This is why we should not be surprised that Google will appeal the judge’s decision. The company has already announced that it will begin an appeal process to block the implementation of these changes. According to Google, these measures can “endanger the privacy and security of consumers”, in addition to having negative consequences in terms of competition between devices and manufacturers. In the coming months, we will see if Google manages to stop the judge’s decision.
Cover photo | Xataka
By | Edge – Xataka
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