MacRumors on Nostr: Epic Games Accuses Samsung and Google of Colluding to Prevent Sideloading on Galaxy ...
Epic Games Accuses Samsung and Google of Colluding to Prevent Sideloading on Galaxy Devices
Fortnite creator Epic Games today filed a lawsuit against Google and Samsung, accusing the two companies of anticompetitive behavior that discourages Android users from downloading games and apps outside of the Google Play Store.
At issue is a Samsung feature called Auto Blocker, which is designed to prevent Galaxy devices from installing applications from unauthorized sources. Enabled by default, Samsung says that Auto Blocker keeps users safe from unknown apps and malware, but it does disable sideloading.
first introduced last October, and Epic Games says that the feature is in fact a "coordinated effort" to block competition in app distribution.
"Auto Blocker cements the Google Play Store as the only viable way to get apps on Samsung devices, blocking every other store from competing on a level playing field," says Epic Games.
the Epic Games v. Google lawsuit, where a nine-member jury agreed that Google had an app store monopoly and that Google's agreements with OEMs were anticompetitive.
The Verge), Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that he did not have proof that Google and Samsung had colluded on the Auto Blocker feature, but he is hoping to find evidence during the document discovery process. He also did not ask Samsung to make Epic Games an authorized source for games.
Further, Sweeney claimed that Epic was filing the lawsuit on behalf of all developers, and not just to get Epic Games special treatment. "If we'd fought Epic v. Apple and Epic v. Google solely on the basis of Epic getting special privileges, perhaps settlement discussions with Apple and Google might have been fruitful," said Sweeney. "But if we did that, we'd be selling out all developers."
Evidence from the Epic v. Apple trial suggests that Sweeney did, at that time, seek a special deal with Apple that would not have been available to all developers. In 2020, Sweeney wrote a letter to Apple asking for permission to add support for third-party payment processors in Fortnite, and it's only when Apple said no that Epic filed a lawsuit against Apple. When questioned about this letter at trial, Sweeney confirmed that he was seeking a special deal for Fortnite and would have accepted it even if Apple didn't offer the same deal to other developers.
Sweeney has suggested multiple times that the lawsuits Epic is filing against Apple, Google, and Samsung are for all developers, but realistically, Epic Games is looking out for its own interests.
The Verge said that Auto Blocker is a security and privacy feature that users can disable at any time. "We plan to vigorously contest Epic Game's baseless claims," said Samsung. Google called the lawsuit "meritless."
Tags: Epic Games, Fortnite, Google, Samsung
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Fortnite creator Epic Games today filed a lawsuit against Google and Samsung, accusing the two companies of anticompetitive behavior that discourages Android users from downloading games and apps outside of the Google Play Store.
At issue is a Samsung feature called Auto Blocker, which is designed to prevent Galaxy devices from installing applications from unauthorized sources. Enabled by default, Samsung says that Auto Blocker keeps users safe from unknown apps and malware, but it does disable sideloading.
first introduced last October, and Epic Games says that the feature is in fact a "coordinated effort" to block competition in app distribution.
"Auto Blocker cements the Google Play Store as the only viable way to get apps on Samsung devices, blocking every other store from competing on a level playing field," says Epic Games.
the Epic Games v. Google lawsuit, where a nine-member jury agreed that Google had an app store monopoly and that Google's agreements with OEMs were anticompetitive.
The Verge), Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that he did not have proof that Google and Samsung had colluded on the Auto Blocker feature, but he is hoping to find evidence during the document discovery process. He also did not ask Samsung to make Epic Games an authorized source for games.
Further, Sweeney claimed that Epic was filing the lawsuit on behalf of all developers, and not just to get Epic Games special treatment. "If we'd fought Epic v. Apple and Epic v. Google solely on the basis of Epic getting special privileges, perhaps settlement discussions with Apple and Google might have been fruitful," said Sweeney. "But if we did that, we'd be selling out all developers."
Evidence from the Epic v. Apple trial suggests that Sweeney did, at that time, seek a special deal with Apple that would not have been available to all developers. In 2020, Sweeney wrote a letter to Apple asking for permission to add support for third-party payment processors in Fortnite, and it's only when Apple said no that Epic filed a lawsuit against Apple. When questioned about this letter at trial, Sweeney confirmed that he was seeking a special deal for Fortnite and would have accepted it even if Apple didn't offer the same deal to other developers.
Sweeney has suggested multiple times that the lawsuits Epic is filing against Apple, Google, and Samsung are for all developers, but realistically, Epic Games is looking out for its own interests.
The Verge said that Auto Blocker is a security and privacy feature that users can disable at any time. "We plan to vigorously contest Epic Game's baseless claims," said Samsung. Google called the lawsuit "meritless."
Tags: Epic Games, Fortnite, Google, Samsung
This article, "Epic Games Accuses Samsung and Google of Colluding to Prevent Sideloading on Galaxy Devices" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/09/30/epic-games-sues-samsung-google/