Google to ask US appeals court to overturn verdict on Play Store revamp

Alphabet’s Google is set to face off against Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, in a US appeals court on Monday, February 3, as the tech giant will attempt to overturn an order forcing a revamp of its app store.

Google has argued that the trial judge in the antitrust case filed by Epic Games made legal errors, which benefited the gaming mogul.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco, is presiding over Google’s appeal, reported Reuters.

Google’s appeal

The tech giant, in its appeal, had argued that Apple’s App Store is its rival. The company also stated that US District Judge James Donato, who issued the order calling for reforms within Google Play Store, was wrong to issue an order that affects not just Epic Games, but users and developers throughout the country.

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What is the case about?

In 2020, Epic Games had filed a case against Google, accusing it of monopolising how Android device users access apps and pay for transactions with the applications. Last year, a judge ordered the tech giant to initiate reforms like allowing users to download competing app stores within Google Play Store and making Google Play's app catalogue available to those rivals.

After Google filed an appeal, Epic Games stated that the tech giant has used strategies to “suppress competition among app stores and payment solutions." It vowed to hold Google accountable for its anti-competitive behaviour.

The US Department of Justice, Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission have filed briefs supporting Epic Games in the legal battle.

Monopoly charges against Google

This is not the first time that allegations of monopolising users and stifling competition have been levelled against Google.

In November 2024, the Department of Justice, in a filing submitted to a Washington federal court, proposed that the tech company must overhaul its business practices. The filing included suggestions like the forced sale of the Chrome browser and a block on paying third parties to make Google the default search engines on devices, The Guardian reported.

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The Department of Justice also proposed that Google must divest from Android OS if the initial endeavours do not end its monopoly.

The filing came after a ruling in August which stated that Google had an illegal monopoly over search services on the internet.

FAQs

1. When could a decision on Google’s appeal be issued?
A decision on google’s appeal is expected later this year.

2. Can Google appeal this decision again?
The decision can be appealed in the US Supreme Court.