After a years-long legal battle that began in 2020, Epic Games has finally gone ahead of Google with a final ruling by a US judge saying Android makers must open up the Play Store to third-party rivals.
There are many details involved in a judgment, so we have summarized the most important ones into four sections below to explain what the judge’s decision means for you.
However, there are two important things to note. First, Google announced that it would appeal the ruling, saying it would “order the court to suspend implementation of the remedies in order to maintain a consistent and secure experience for users and developers while the legal process progresses.” The statement added, “We request the following.”
Therefore, it is possible that the following changes will occur, but there is a non-zero chance that they will not occur for some time (until the dispute process is completed) or at all (if Google’s dispute is successful).
Another important detail is that the ruling only makes Google apply these new rules in the United States for three years, from November 1, 2024 to November 1, 2027. Once the deadline passes, we suspect Google won’t waste any time returning the Play Store. I don’t know what happened before the verdict, but we’ll have to wait and see. Also, if you live outside the United States, Google doesn’t have to change anything unless there’s another similar ruling there.
1. More choices
The biggest change for Android users is that they now have more choice in the app stores they want to use, and it’s easier to search third-party stores.
This is because Google has to distribute these third-party store competitors through Google Play. So you don’t have to go through the hassle of finding and downloading third-party APKs, and your phone will warn you that installing an unsupported APK may be dangerous. Google Play Store App Store.
This isn’t really one of those options as one option is clearly better since it has all the apps. As part of the ruling, Google must provide these new rival stores with full access to the complete Google Play Store software catalog. Opting out of viewing outside of the Play Store is solely up to the app developer.
2. No exclusive deals
In that regard, the ruling prohibits Google from encouraging developers to launch only on the Play Store or to launch on the Play Store first. Google also isn’t allowed to encourage developers not to release their apps on competing stores (this is a little tricky, but they need to prevent loopholes in exclusivity agreements).
Google also cannot pay device manufacturers or carriers to preinstall the Play Store or not preinstall third-party app stores.
However, one thing that doesn’t seem to violate the rules is when developers offer incentives to drive users to one store over another, such as in-app purchase sales or when Google offers exclusive discounts. It is to do. This could be a big win for us as we might be able to get a better price by changing the app store, but we’ll have to see how this develops.
3. Alternative payment systems
Google will also no longer be able to connect Google Play Store apps to the Google Play billing system, which charges app makers a 30% commission on sales. We also need to allow Android app makers to implement and promote alternative payment systems, allowing them to set the price they want, regardless of the price charged by Google Play.
What this means is that while developers can still use Google Play Billing, they can also set up their own billing options and charge different amounts for each. Ideally, if you don’t use Play Store billing, your bill will be lower.
This could also force Google to change the way it distributes revenue from Google Play billing to reduce the disadvantageous deals for app makers.
4. Security should not be changed
All this talk about third-party app stores does not mean that the security of your Android device will be negatively affected, despite Google’s claims. That doesn’t mean you should be careful when downloading unfamiliar apps. Malicious parties can also gain access to the official Play Store. However, Google can still take “reasonable steps.” These adjustments are strictly necessary and limited to keep Google Play safe and secure when open to competitive stores.
These measures are “equivalent” to those the company currently has in place on the Play Store, and should prevent dangerous third-party app stores from running wild. Google may also charge fees for these security measures, and disputes in these lawsuits will be overseen by technical committees appointed by both Google and Epic.
