Home / Business and Economy / Rival App Store Accuses Google of Antitrust Abuse
Rival App Store Accuses Google of Antitrust Abuse
15 Apr
Summary
- Aptoide alleges Google monopolizes app distribution and billing.
- The lawsuit seeks an injunction and unspecified triple damages.
- Google settled a similar antitrust case with Epic Games last November.
A new antitrust lawsuit has been filed against Google, accusing the tech giant of monopolizing Android app distribution and billing. The suit was initiated by Aptoide, a Portuguese company that operates the world's third-largest Android app store. Aptoide alleges that Google's practices violate U.S. antitrust law by shutting out rival app stores.
Based in Lisbon, Aptoide claims it would have exerted more pressure on Google's pricing and policies if not for its "anticompetitive chokehold." The company argues that Google deprives rivals of exclusive developer content and steers developers towards its own Google Play store and other essential services. Aptoide seeks an injunction against these alleged anticompetitive actions, along with unspecified triple damages.
This lawsuit echoes previous legal challenges against Google. Last November, Google agreed to make changes to its Android and app store operations to settle a five-year-old antitrust case brought by Epic Games. A jury had previously found Google stifled competition in 2023, leading to court-ordered reforms. Google is also defending against a U.S. government case concerning its search engine, where a judge found it to be an illegal monopoly in August 2024.
