Epic Games, the creator of the popular video game “Fortnite,” filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing Alphabet’s Google and Samsung of conspiring to protect Google’s Play Store from competition, violating U.S. antitrust laws.
The lawsuit was filed in a U.S. federal court in California and alleged that Samsung’s mobile security feature, Auto Blocker, was designed to discourage users from downloading apps from third-party sources outside of Google’s Play Store and Samsung’s Galaxy Store.
Epic claims that Samsung intentionally sidelined its Galaxy Store in favor of the Play Store and implemented Auto Blocker to mislead users into avoiding alternative app sources.
The lawsuit argues that this practice reduces consumer choice and limits competition, ultimately leading to higher app prices. Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, said, “It’s about unfair competition by misleading users into thinking competitors’ products are inferior.”
Google responded to the lawsuit by calling Epic’s claims “meritless,” stating that Android device manufacturers are free to implement their own security measures. Samsung also rejected the allegations, asserting that Auto Blocker was designed to protect users’ security and privacy, while users retain the option to disable the feature.
Epic contends that Samsung’s introduction of Auto Blocker in 2023 was intended to undermine a U.S. court ruling from December 2023, which required Google to make app distribution easier through alternative sources. Epic plans to raise its concerns with regulators in the European Union, which has scrutinized Google’s business practices for years.
This legal battle is the latest in Epic’s ongoing fight against tech giants. The company previously sued Google and Apple in 2020 over their app store policies, including the 30% commissions on in-app purchases.
Epic’s “Fortnite” was banned from these platforms for nearly four years before being reintroduced on Google’s Android devices and iPhones in the European Union last month.
