Google Forced to Simplify Access to Non-Google App Stores
Google's implementation of third-party app stores in the Play Store has been deemed insufficient by US District Judge James Donato. According to The Verge, Judge Donato found that Google had added unnecessary 'anticompetitive friction' when accessing the first non-Google store, Aptoide Games.
Epic and Google have a global partnership agreement in place, but they are still on opposite sides of the antitrust case in the US. In 2023, Google lost the case, and since then, the court has been determining how to implement remedies to address Google's anticompetitive behavior.
The court's requirement is that Google include third-party app stores in the Play Store, making it easy for users to get apps from non-Google sources. However, Google's attempt at compliance was deemed inadequate by Judge Donato, who found that accessing Aptoide Games required several levels of navigation through confusing menus.