Google is requesting a California federal judge to halt a sweeping court order that would require it to open up its app store Play to more competition. In a court filing on Friday night, Google argued that U.S. District Judge James Donato’s injunction order, scheduled to take effect on Nov. 1, would cause harm to the company and introduce “serious safety, security, and privacy risks into the Android ecosystem.”
The tech giant, a subsidiary of Alphabet, is seeking for Donato to pause the order while it pursues an appeal. The injunction was issued on Oct. 7 in response to a lawsuit filed by Epic Games, the maker of “Fortnite,” which successfully convinced a federal jury last year that Google was unlawfully monopolizing how apps are downloaded on Android devices and how in-app transactions are paid for.
Judge Donato’s order mandates that Google must allow users to download competing third-party Android app platforms or stores, and it cannot block the use of competing in-app payment methods. Additionally, Google is prohibited from making payments to device manufacturers to preinstall its app store and from sharing revenue from the Play store with other app distributors.
If Google’s request to stay the injunction is denied, the company can turn to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to put the order on hold while it challenges the jury’s antitrust verdict. Google formally appealed the verdict to the 9th Circuit on Thursday, and the appeals court is expected to assess and make a ruling on Google’s challenge to Donato’s order.
(Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by William Maclean and Frances Kerry)
Conclusion
As Google fights to defend its position in the app market against claims of monopolistic practices, the tech industry awaits the outcome of this legal battle. The implications of the injunction on Play store could have far-reaching consequences not only for Google but also for the Android ecosystem as a whole. Stay tuned for updates on this case and more news in the tech world by visiting DeFi Daily News.