A federal judge has given Google one week to overhaul how users can download rival app stores through the Google Play Store, ruling that the company’s current implementation falls short of meeting a prior antitrust injunction.
U.S. District Judge James Donato, who presided over the Epic Games v. Google trial, found that Google’s compliance with an earlier order to allow alternative app store downloads was inadequate. The judge described the current process as burying the option several levels deep in confusing menus, according to a report by The Verge and Ars Technica.
Epic Games Victory Continues to Reshape Android
The ruling stems from the landmark 2023 trial in which a jury unanimously found that Google had built anticompetitive barriers around the Play Store. Judge Donato subsequently issued a permanent injunction requiring Google to open the Android platform to competing app marketplaces for three years. Google was also ordered to allow third-party billing systems and reduce the security warnings it displays when users attempt to install apps from outside sources.
Despite the injunction, Epic Games and other critics argued that Google’s implementation was deliberately cumbersome. Users seeking to install an alternative app store had to navigate through multiple settings menus and security prompts that Epic characterized as “scare screens” designed to discourage the process. The judge’s latest order now demands Google redesign the download flow to be straightforward and accessible.
Broader Implications for App Store Competition
The ruling adds to growing regulatory pressure on Google’s app store dominance. A separate federal antitrust case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice against Google over its search engine monopoly has also reached a critical phase, with closing arguments scheduled for May. Meanwhile, the European Union’s Digital Markets Act has already forced Google to allow sideloading and third-party app stores on Android devices sold in the EU.
Google has paid $700 million in a settlement with U.S. state attorneys general over Play Store anticompetitive practices, including $630 million to compensate consumers. The company has also committed to reducing security warnings for alternative app installations over a five-year period.
The tech giant has not yet indicated whether it will appeal Judge Donato’s latest order. Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Epic Games, whose own digital store competes directly with the Play Store, has been the primary driving force behind the litigation, though it lost a similar case against Apple in 2023.
Sources: Ars Technica; The Verge; CourtListener; Associated Press
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