Google has been ordered to make significant changes to its mobile ecosystem in the US, including opening its Google Play gaming marketplace to alternative app retail stores.
The orders come from the general ruling by Judge James Donato, who oversaw the Epic vs. Google jury trial last year. According to The Verge, Google will need to allow third-party app stores to be distributed through Google Play games, in addition to giving those gathered full access to all apps in Play games (unless developers choose from this) .
The changes will take effect from November 1, 2024 and will end until November 1, 2027.
Google has stated that it will support the ruling and announced that it will have “a series of unintended consequences that will harm American consumers, developers and device manufacturers.”
For three years since its creation in November, Google may also not be allowed to force developers to value Google Play game billing, even for apps distributed within the Play Games package.
It is generally prevented from offering money or benefits to developers when it comes to launching apps on Play Games entirely or first, or to discourage them from releasing them on rival stores. There are homogeneous laws when it comes to pre-installing Google Play games on harmful devices, or fighting cell phone operators who pre-install rival app retail stores.
Google should also allow Android developers to inform users about other ways to create invoices that do not include the Play Games package and download third-party Play games apps.
Much of this was asked during the Epic Games trial closer to last year, in which the jury ruled in Epic’s favor. One of the important requests of the Fortnite company was not granted, such as allowing applications to be downloaded with a single click and a six-year period for previous changes.
The ruling indicated that Google will still be able to have some control over how it opens Google Play Games Pack to rival markets, in terms of security.
Google may be permitted to “take reasonable measures” that are “strictly necessary and strictly tailored.” The company has been given eight months to form a three-person technical committee to oversee this, which will be selected collectively by Google and Epic.
In the end, Epic filed another criminal complaint against Google, this week also focusing on Samsung, alleging that the terminal’s default Auto Blocker is a barrier to supporting app stores on Android.
