Judge James Donato of San Francisco ordered on Friday (14) that Google remove, within a week, barriers that make it difficult to install rival app stores on Android, according to The Verge. The decision was made during a hearing that resumed the dispute between Google and Epic Games almost three years after the verdict that recognized the company's illegal monopoly over app distribution on the system.
The order responds to a request from Epic Games, which presented to the court a live demonstration of the steps needed to install an alternative store on the Play Store. For the judge, part of the process represents 'anticompetitive friction' with no justification and needs to be eliminated.
Searches and install button
During the demonstration, Epic's lawyer, Yonatan Even, showed that searching for the term 'app stores' on the Play Store does not display third-party stores, but results such as physical stores. 'Why did Walmart appear?' the judge asked. 'That is not acceptable, it must be fixed. I want all possible variations, even if only 70% correctly formulated,' Donato ordered. Google agreed to adjust the searches.
The judge also questioned the need for a 'view' button before the 'install' button when downloading a third-party store. 'You don't see that when you're looking at Apple Music,' he compared. 'Change it to install, not view,' he ordered, and Google accepted the change.
Confirmation screen
Another contested point was the display of an intermediate warning when the user searches for 'app store' or for the name of a specific store, such as Aptoide, first competitor to enter the Play Store. The screen asks whether the user really wants to access the third-party store, which, in Donato's assessment, is an unnecessary barrier.
Google's defense argued that app stores are a special category, with advanced permissions. The judge, however, considered that the warning displayed on the store's own page is already sufficient. 'We all know that when you go to a Google or Apple store and type the name of your app, you find one thing you're looking for and ten you don't want,' he stated. 'Remove the screen "you are looking for". There is no purpose for it. There is friction that serves no purpose,' he added.
The judge gave a one-week deadline for Google to implement the changes. 'Get it done within a week. If there is any problem, let me know,' he said.
