Google released a statement after the final ruling in California requiring Google to open the Play Store to support external stores, following Epic Games’ lawsuit over app store restrictions. Google confirmed that they will appeal this decision to prevent it from taking effect on November 1st.
Google explained that the court’s order poses a higher security risk for users and promotes a more challenging app environment, ultimately lowering competition. While this ruling may benefit Epic, it will not benefit users overall.
Google cited three reasons for wanting the court to reconsider the ruling, starting with the comparison to Apple’s case where the court stated that the mobile app market is competitive and Apple does not tie apps, thus Android is not a standalone market and neither is Google.
Google and Apple are already competing to attract developers to create apps for Android. Being an open system, Android allows app downloads outside of Google Play, and Epic has other channels for app downloads.
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, expressed satisfaction with the ruling despite its impact limited to the United States. The company plans to continue litigation in multiple other countries. Over the next three years, competition in the Android ecosystem will intensify, and Google cannot wield its power to halt it.
TLDR: Google to appeal court ruling requiring them to open Play Store to support external stores after losing lawsuit to Epic Games, citing security risks and decreased competition. Epic CEO expresses satisfaction with the ruling despite plans for further litigation globally, leading to increased competition in the Android ecosystem beyond Google’s control.
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