by “Fortnite” maker Epic Games filed its second antitrust lawsuit against Google on Monday, accusing the search giant of illegally collaborating with smartphone giant Samsung to stifle app developers.
Led by CEO Tim Sweeney, Epic won a stunning antitrust victory last December after a jury found that Google operated illegal monopolies in the Google Play app store and the in-app billing system used by Android devices.
A federal judge is expected to order sweeping changes to Google’s business practices in the near future.
In the new antitrust lawsuit filed in California federal court, Epic focused on a Samsung feature called “Auto Blocker,” which is enabled by default on the company’s smartphones and blocks users from downloading apps outside the Google Play Store or the less popular Samsung Galaxy Shop.
Users must follow an “exceptionally difficult 21-step process to download an app outside the Google Play Store or the Samsung Galaxy Store,” Epic said in a blog post announcing the lawsuit.
“Auto Blocker is all but guaranteed to solidify Google’s dominance over Android App Distribution, preventing third-party app stores like the Epic Games Store from reaching any major audiences on Android,” the lawsuit said.
Auto Blocker was enabled by default on Samsung devices starting July 2024.
Epic claimed that the feature would undermine the jury’s verdict in its previous lawsuit if left in effect.
The North Carolina-based company is seeking unspecified monetary damages and an injunction banning Samsung and Google from “engaging in anti-competitive and unfair conduct and requiring Samsung to take all necessary steps to end such conduct and restore competition.”
Google did not immediately return a request for comment.
A Samsung spokesperson said the company “actively promotes competition in the marketplace, increases consumer choice and conducts its business fairly” and plans to “vigorously dispute Epic Game’s unsubstantiated claims.”
“The features integrated into our devices are designed in accordance with Samsung’s core principles of security, privacy and user control, and we remain fully committed to protecting users’ personal data,” the spokesperson said. “Users have the choice to disable Auto Blocker at any time.”
Samsung does not allow third parties to qualify as an “authorized source” that would be exempt from Auto Blocker, the lawsuit alleges.
“Allowing this coordinated illegal anti-competitive trade to continue harms developers and consumers and undermines both the jury verdict and regulatory and legislative progress around the world,” Epic Games said in a blog post announcing the lawsuit was announced.
Epic’s latest legal challenge marks another headache for Google, which is in the midst of an unprecedented crackdown on its operations in the US and abroad.
In August, a federal judge sided with the Justice Department and ruled that Google has an illegal monopoly on the online search market.
The judge is expected to announce solutions to address the anti-competitive practices next summer.
A second DOJ antitrust investigation is also underway, targeting Google’s alleged monopoly on digital advertising technology.
Closing arguments in that case are scheduled for November.
In both DOJ cases, the FBI is expected to seek a forced breakup of Google’s empire.
