Earlier this month, Google lost its court case against Epic Games and was ordered to open the Google Play Store to third parties. But Google wants to delay that by appealing for time to implement changes.
In the announcement, Google confirmed that it has asked for a pause in implementing changes to Android and Google Play Store. The company has also appealed against the previous court decision, which called for Google to implement the changes by 1 November 2024. Should Google fail its appeal, a pause in implementation would allow the company time to make the necessary changes.
These Epic-requested changes stem from a decision that is completely contrary to another court's rejection of similar claims Epic made against Apple — even though, unlike iOS, Android is an open platform that has always allowed for choice and flexibility like multiple app stores and sideloading. - Lee-Anne Mulholland. (Vice President, Google Regulatory Affairs)
Google has argued that it isn't anti-competitive as it competes directly with Apple and its App Store, hence the appeals. Of course, Epic Games isn't happy with Google's ploy to buy time. According to Android Authority, the company claimed that Google is "fear-mongering" and "falsely using security as a pretext" to delay the changes.
For those unaware, the court's order to open the Google Play Store primarily benefits third-party developers like Epic Games. It will allow these developers to directly sell products or in-app purchases without going through Google's billing system. For example, Microsoft has already announced that it will start selling Xbox games through its Xbox app. More importantly, developers won't have to pay Google a 30% cut of their app revenue.
Are the security features and protections on the Google Play Store enough to justify its business model? Please share your thoughts in the comments on our Facebook page, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.
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