Tim Sweeney, chief executive of Epic Games, had always worried that his company’s victory last year in a multibillion-dollar legal battle against Google’s app store monopoly would not be enough to open up competition. Even if Google could no longer maintain alternative markets outside of Android, phone makers could make them difficult to access. In a US lawsuit filed today, that’s exactly what Epic alleges Google conspired with Samsung to do.
Some newer Samsung phones have required configuration changes to install apps from the web, such as the Epic App Marketplace, according to Epic, which also develops fortnite and rocket racing. The requirement went into effect by default in July and Epic launched its app store in August. Samsung claims the feature it’s called auto blocker protects against “applications from unauthorized sources” and “malicious activities.” But it extends the installation process from 15 to 21 steps, Epic alleges. The company says it has found in the past that the greater the number of obstacles, the fewer people complete the process.
“These are not reasonable measures to protect users against malware,” Sweeney told reporters at a briefing before the lawsuit was filed. “It’s about obstructing competition.”
Google and Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which Epic said it filed against them in federal court in San Francisco.
The litigation builds on an effort Epic launched in 2020 to offer more options to mobile users and improve its own results. While downloading apps in any way and from almost any source is generally easy on desktop and laptop computers, Apple and Google have used warnings and various technical policies and restrictions to keep users downloading from the iOS App Store and Google Play, which generate huge profits for the market. technology giants by virtue of the sales commissions they charge.
Epic, through a lawsuit, obtained a minor concession from Apple that is still being disputed; Sanctions against Google by a judge are expected soon.
At the press conference, Sweeney acknowledged that Epic has no clear evidence that Google and Samsung collaborated to implement Auto Blocker. But emails and notes presented by Epic during its jury trial against Google last year showed how the search company regularly engaged in discussions with Samsung aimed at limiting competition. Google denied those accusations.
Earlier this month, Sweeney approached two senior Samsung executives to ask them to reconsider the approach with Auto Blocker and enable a more seamless process for downloading legitimate software. Sweeney said a resolution that benefited all developers could not be reached, prompting the lawsuit. “We are going to continue fighting until there is equal conditions,” he says. He added that it “stinks” to sue Samsung, which has promoted Epic’s offerings in the past.
Epic has achieved more than 10 million installs of its mobile app store, falling short of its goal of reaching 100 million by the end of the year, Sweeney says. He believes that Auto Blocker and other new impediments, as he sees them, have hurt Epic’s ability to gain traction. And its focus on fighting Apple and Google is costing Epic significant sums, with no end to the litigation in sight. “The benefits will only come in the future, when the obstacles have truly been removed,” he says.
