Epic Games sues Google again: What are the allegations and how is Samsung involved?

“Auto Blocker cements the Google Play Store arsenic the lone viable mode to get apps connected Samsung devices, blocking each different store from competing connected a level playing field,” it added.

What is Auto Blocker?

When turned on, the Auto Blocker enactment connected Samsung smartphones stops users from downloading apps different than the ones from “authorised sources” specified arsenic the Google Play Store and the Samsung Galaxy Store. There’s nary process for immoderate different app store from becoming authorised, according to Epic.

Epic claimed that erstwhile it was archetypal rolled retired successful October past year, Auto Blocker was an opt-in diagnostic but it became enabled by default connected each Samsung devices from July this year.

This means that each idiosyncratic is required to alteration their instrumentality settings earlier they could download and instal immoderate app from 3rd enactment app stores oregon the web, Epic said.

Is Auto Blocker anti-competitive?

One of Epic’s cardinal allegations is that Samsung has made it hard for users to crook disconnected the default Auto Blocker setting. “Auto Blocker defaulting to ‘on’ requires an exceptionally onerous 21 measurement process to download an app extracurricular of the Google Play Store oregon the Samsung Galaxy Store,” the institution said.

Samsung has besides stopped informing users astir however to crook disconnected Auto Blocker successful the “can’t instal app” pop-up, according to a study by The Verge. Epic alleged that the South Korean handset shaper was mirroring Google’s “Unknown Sources” process with aggregate steps and scare screens.

The institution further questioned the intent of Auto Blocker. “Auto Blocker conducts nary appraisal of the information oregon information of immoderate circumstantial root oregon immoderate circumstantial app earlier blocking an installation,” the suit reads. “The thing’s not designed to support against malware, which would beryllium a wholly morganatic intent […] The thing’s designed to forestall competition,” Epic CEO Tim Sweeney was quoted arsenic saying.

Does Auto Blocker interruption the Epic vs Google decision?

Four years ago, Epic sued Google implicit its alleged monopoly of the app store marketplace. During the trial, Epic argued that Google had wanted to wage Samsung successful speech for phasing retired the Galaxy Store from its smartphones done initiatives specified arsenic Project Banyan.

“In 2020, Google signed a Revenue Sharing Agreement with Samsung. Since the agreement, Samsung has not entered into exclusive deals with large crippled developers to motorboat connected the Galaxy Store, has not competed to connection developers a amended header complaint than 30%, and has not taken different indispensable steps successful bid to meaningfully vie with the Google Play Store,” Epic alleged.

In December 2023, a US assemblage unanimously decided that the large tech company’s app store practices are illegal, including the unlawful agreements Google enters into with telephone manufacturers specified arsenic Samsung.

Specifically, the assemblage recovered that “Google entered into 1 oregon much agreements that unreasonably restrained commercialized successful a applicable antitrust market” including “agreements with OEMs [original instrumentality manufacturers] that merchantability mobile devices.”

However, a US territory tribunal has not yet decided connected what remedies Google should marque successful airy of the jury’s verdict.

Meanwhile, Epic has argued that making Auto Blocker the default mounting was intentionally done to “preemptively undermine” the court’s last bid successful the Epic vs Google matter.

In its 2nd lawsuit, the institution has asked the tribunal to bid Samsung to not alteration Auto Blocker by default and prohibit the 2 companies’ alleged anti-competitive behaviour. “We volition instrumentality each indispensable steps to guarantee this determination is afloat upheld,” it said.

How person Google and Samsung responded?

Labelling Epic’s suit arsenic “deliberately misleading”, Google said, “While Android allows sideloading, Google and the information assemblage person warned users for years astir the existent risks associated with downloading apps straight from the web.”

“Governments astir the satellite person requested further solutions to assistance further support users from the fraud, theft and maltreatment from sideloaded apps that are causing existent harm to people’s lives. That’s wherefore Google offers its ain information features specified arsenic Google Play Protect, which checks for harmful apps connected a user’s device, careless of wherever the app was downloaded. Android instrumentality makers are escaped to innovate and plan further information features for their devices,” Dave Kleidermacher, Google’s Android caput of security, was quoted arsenic saying by The Verge.

Samsung, connected the different hand, said that users person the prime to disable Auto Blocker astatine immoderate time. “The features integrated into our devices are designed successful accordance with Samsung’s halfway principles of security, privacy, and idiosyncratic control, and we stay afloat committed to safeguarding users’ idiosyncratic data,” it said, adding that it plans to “vigorously contest” the lawsuit.