Google Faces Major Defeat in Epic Games Antitrust Case
Google has suffered a major legal blow in its ongoing antitrust battle with Fortnite creator Epic Games. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a jury’s verdict declaring the Google Play Store an illegal monopoly. This decision now opens the door for significant changes that could give consumers more freedom and choices in how they access apps on Android devices.
The court’s unanimous ruling marks a double setback for Google, which has already faced similar monopoly verdicts involving its search engine and digital advertising platform since late 2023. The case stems from Epic’s efforts to challenge Google and Apple’s in-app payment systems, which charged developers commissions of up to 30%.
Epic’s win could force Google to break down its tightly controlled Play Store ecosystem. U.S. District Judge James Donato is now expected to enforce structural changes aimed at fostering competition in the Android app marketplace.
This latest decision follows growing criticism of Google’s app store dominance. A jury in December 2023 found that Google intentionally blocked competing app stores and better deals from reaching users and developers. The court’s backing of that verdict reinforces the broader push to rein in the tech giant’s market control.
