Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, has launched a new legal battle against tech giants Google and Samsung, accusing them of colluding to stifle competition in the app marketplace on Samsung devices.
The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. federal court in California, centers around Samsung's Auto Blocker feature. Epic Games alleges that this feature was implemented in coordination with Google to undermine a recent court decision against Google's app store practices. The game developer claims that Auto Blocker makes it unnecessarily difficult for users to install apps from sources other than the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store.
Key points of the lawsuit include:
- Epic Games argues that Samsung changed Auto Blocker from an opt-in feature to the default setting in July 2024
- The feature allegedly forces users through a cumbersome 21-step process to download apps from third-party stores or the web
- Epic claims this move violates the jury verdict in its previous court victory against Google
- The company is seeking court intervention to prohibit what it calls anti-competitive conduct and mandate the removal of Auto Blocker as the default setting on Samsung devices
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, stated, This is a major global fight, which is ultimately for the right of consumers to get all the benefits of competition and choose freely who they want to do business with. He indicated that the company is prepared to take the fight to authorities in Europe and Asia if necessary.
This latest legal action follows Epic's previous lawsuits against both Apple and Google over their app store policies and fees. The ongoing battle reflects the increasing scrutiny of big tech companies' market power by regulators and lawmakers worldwide.
Epic Games launched its own app store in August 2023, allowing users to bypass the Google-run store and offer content directly to smartphone users. However, the company claims that Auto Blocker has significantly hindered its ability to gain traction, with installations falling short of its goal to reach 100 million by the end of the year.
As the legal drama unfolds, the tech industry watches closely to see how this case might reshape the landscape of mobile app distribution and challenge the dominance of established app store ecosystems.
Google and Samsung have not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.