A US federal district court judge in California has issued an injunction requiring Google to make a number of changes that it had been resisting, including allowing rival tech companies to offer their apps through its Google Play store, as a remedy for maintaining an illegal monopoly, the BBC reported.
The monopoly power has helped Google expand the company’s internet empire, elevating the market value of its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., to a whopping USD 2 trillion.
The decision follows a lawsuit won by Epic Games, the creator of the popular video game Fortnite, which argued that Google had unfairly restricted competition by controlling both the distribution of apps and payments on Android phones.
In December, a jury sided with Epic Games, agreeing that Google had been unlawfully stifling competition.
U.S. District Judge James Donato’s order gives Google until November to make the changes. His order will remain in place for three years.
Google has announced plans to appeal the decision, stating it will seek a delay in implementing the court’s order. The tech giant claimed in a statement that, “The changes would put consumers’ privacy and security at risk, make it harder for developers to promote their apps, and reduce competition on devices.”
Google has defended its app store, saying it faces competition from Apple, which defended a similar lawsuit from Epic Games in 2020. In that case, the appeals court ruled that Apple did not have a monopoly on mobile gaming.
The latest legal setback for Google is just one in a series of antitrust lawsuits the company has faced. In August, another U.S. Federal District Judge, Amit Mehta, siding with the U.S. Department of Justice, declared Google’s dominant search engine to be an illegal monopoly. He will soon hold hearings to determine what remedies should be imposed.
Most recently, in September, Federal District Judge Leonie Brinkema heard arguments in a case involving allegations that Google unfairly dominates the digital advertising technology market.