Google officially applied to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to halt the decision in the monopoly case won by Epic Games during the appeal process. The company is requesting that the court order requiring it to open the Play Store to rival app stores be suspended until the appeal is concluded. As you may remember, Google was found unfair by a federal jury in the case filed by Epic Games, which alleged that it had created a monopoly in application distribution and in-app payment services for Android devices. Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge James Donato ruled that Google must grant third-party app stores access to its Play Store catalog and make them available for download through Google Play.
Google argued that this decision was “harmful and unwarranted”, arguing that making third-party stores available for download through the Play Store would expose approximately 100 million US Android users to “serious security risks”. The company noted that these stores may have less stringent security protocols and users may be exposed to harmful or malicious applications. Additionally, it is claimed that these stores, which will be available for download through Google’s Play Store, may lead to the perception that they have gained legitimacy and may pose “real risks” for users.
Google emphasized that the business world could also be harmed by this decision. Access to the Play Store catalog by third-party app stores may result in businesses’ products being bundled with inappropriate or harmful content. This can make malicious stores appear trustworthy, threatening both Google’s reputation and the security of its partners.
On the other hand, one of the changes suggested by the court is to allow developers to offer their applications without using Google Play’s billing system. However, Google also objected to this change, arguing that this could offer options that lack the security and features that users expect.
Google also stated that app developers offering external links through their apps could increase the risk of “deceptive links.” It is stated that malicious actors can use this feature to launch phishing attacks to damage users’ devices or steal their data.
Google also drew attention to the decision of the case between Epic Games and Apple
Google also emphasized that implementing such far-reaching changes in a short period of three weeks would pose an “unacceptable security risk.” The company claimed that these changes could cause major problems in the functioning of Android devices. Google also stated that in a similar case filed by Epic Games against Apple, the court ruled in favor of Apple, but the decision against Google was contradictory. The company argued that the Android operating system offers users and device manufacturers the opportunity to install alternative application stores, yet it is “suggestive” that it is accused of monopolization.