The Google Play Store has rules against developers promoting their apps outside the Android store or using payment methods other than Play Billing. But that's about to change. A long-running legal battle has finally come to an end, with a US court ruling that Google has an illegal monopoly on Android apps.
US court says Google holds illegal monopoly over app stores
The ruling follows a four-year legal battle between Epic and Google, which began when Epic accused Google of illegal practices in the Play Store after the company attempted to bring the popular video game Fortnite to Android devices, according to The Verge.
Epic's main issue with the Google Play Store is the 30% commission Google takes from each sale. Epic started selling Fortnite digital currency (called "V-bucks") through third-party in-app payment methods to combat this. This violated Google's terms, and Fortnite was eventually removed from the Play Store in retaliation, leading to the lawsuit.
Back in the present, Epic won its battle against Google after a US court ruled that Google had established an illegal monopoly. Between November 1, 2024 and November 1, 2027, Google must now comply with the following rules:
The ruling also prevents Google from incentivizing developers to use the Play Store over others. For example, Google cannot offer developers money or benefits to launch their apps on the Play Store first, nor can it pay phone manufacturers to pre-install the Play Store app on their phones.
What does this change mean for Android users?
For now, you won't notice any difference with the Play Store. The new rules go into effect on November 1, so it's likely that Google will enforce its current rules to that end.
When November 1st rolls around, you’ll likely see a wave of changes across the Play Store. Not only will third-party Android app stores be allowed in, but your favorite apps may start offering you payment methods outside of Google Play. This will be a good change for consumers, so keep an eye on your apps as November 1st rolls around and see how they shake out.
A cybersecurity firm has discovered a huge number of Android apps containing malicious code (adware), a discovery that also raises big questions about how Google monitors its online store.
It's that time of year again! December is the time for Google Play Store to announce the best Android apps and games on the platform over the past year - 2024
Learn how to download and install CH Play (Google Play Store) on Android devices. Follow our detailed guide to ensure you can access all your favorite apps.
To download the application's apk to your phone or computer, you need the help of a third-party tool or a safe apk download website, and cannot download it directly from the Google Play app store. Below are the fastest and easiest ways to download the apk file to your phone or computer.
While its a little easy, the gameplay is exciting. Find the hidden things between the multiple pictures before the clock runs out to unlock each stage.
As you know, Google Play is a huge application store for devices using the Android operating system. However, they only allow users to directly install applications on the device, not download the * .apk file to the computer.
Aptoide is an application that allows you to install applications on your phone without Google Play, here invite everyone to refer to the article on how to download applications on Aptoide.
OpenAI has just announced the Pioneers Program – an effort to promote the application of AI in real-world situations.
At CES 2025, Razer announced the first beta version of Razer PC Remote Play – a service that allows gamers to stream PC games directly to their Windows phone, tablet or handheld device.
Errors related to webcams on laptops will affect users when they want to communicate directly via webcam.
The bush dog, Serval dog, bush dog or mane dog is a species of the genus Serval in the family Canidae (dog family). They are more distantly related within the canid family but still have some similarities with foxes, wolves and dogs.
No one knows what would happen if you fell into a supermassive black hole like the one at the center of the Milky Way. To answer this question, NASA researchers created a simulation using the Discover supercomputer at the NASA Climate Simulation Center that describes what would happen if you fell into a supermassive black hole like the one at the center of the Milky Way.
In the process of working with PowerPoint slides, broken links can occur for many reasons. Below are some ways to fix broken links in PowerPoint.
If you've heard of TickTick before, there's probably a good reason for that. TickTick is a powerful task management app with advanced capabilities to organize your tasks efficiently.
With the latest update in Blox Fruits, Kitsune Fruit has been overtaken by Dragon Fruit as the most expensive fruit in the game. Here is a step-by-step guide to getting Kitsune Fruit in Blox Fruits.
Grimoires Era Codes will make your early game much smoother as you will get more Grimoires spins and Aura spins.
Wedding anniversaries have different names depending on the time period, including diamond, gold, silver, bronze... Do you wonder what each name means? How many years are a gold, silver, bronze, diamond wedding?
If you take screenshots of just about everything, including travel destinations you want to visit, you're probably used to seeing them disappear into your camera roll. Thanks to Gemini, Google may have a solution for you.
The new policy will take effect from March 31 and is expected to bring more fairness to content creators when comparing video performance across different platforms.
Some Samsung phones running Android 7 or higher support users to view the lunar calendar right on the phone without having to install any other supporting applications.
Apple Watch is no longer just a smart wearable device and a stylish piece of technology.
Everyone knows there is water in the universe, but you might be surprised to learn that it appeared much earlier than expected, especially near the Big Bang.
