A separate federal court overseeing Epic’s case against Apple found that the App Store competed against Google’s Play Store and ruled Apple was not liable for antitrust violations. Google criticized U.S. District Judge James Donato for taking a divergent approach in the Google case, imposing “unprecedented and legally unfounded” duties on the company to facilitate competing app stores.
The injunction, issued in October, mandates Google to allow app downloads from rival platforms and prohibits exclusive agreements with app developers or payments to discourage competition.
Google’s “Open” Android Philosophy
Google argued its Android operating system has always been a more open alternative to Apple’s restrictive iOS. While Apple requires apps to be downloaded exclusively through its App Store, Google permits sideloading, third-party app stores, and browser-based downloads, it said.
This openness, however, limits Google’s ability to protect users from threats like malware, which the Play Store is designed to address, the company added. It described the Play Store as a “secure, trusted environment” and claimed the court’s ruling undermines these safeguards.
