Epic is suing Samsung, saying its phones’ UI is built to restrict competition, namely the Epic Games Store. Samsung’s latest OneUI update, 6.1.1, was built on Android 14 and blocked app sideloading by default on the latest phones. Now, Epic is suing both Google and Samsung for “blocking every other store from competing on a level playing field.”
In its lawsuit, Epic argues that Samsung and Google have been in cahoots to keep the Play Store dominant and put its own Galaxy Store “on the back burner.” The publisher claimed, “Google called on its longtime collaborator Samsung to defang these competitive threats and renew the moat protecting the Play Store from competition” when it limited sideloading separate app stores by default in OneUI.
The case will hinge on whether there was really collusion between Google and Samsung. Epic pointed to how Auto Blocker was not default on phones before Google Play Store was labeled a monopoly. The “Auto Blocker” setting on Samsung devices creates a wall between users and third-party app stores. While the feature was optional on older devices (it’s off by default if you’re updating from a previous version of OneUI to 6.1.1), it came pre-enabled on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 phones the Korean tech giant released earlier this year. We still have to see if Samsung will enable Auto Blocker by default on its latest Samsung Galaxy S24 FE devices.
CEO Tim Sweeney told journalists (via The Verge) that he hopes more evidence of Google and Samsung’s alleged collusion emerges during the discovery process.
Epic alleges this results in an “onerous 21-step” process for downloading an app outside the Google Play Store or Samsung Galaxy Store. However, part of that process described by Epic involves failing to launch the Epic Games Store without first going through the relatively simple process of disabling Auto Blocker through Settings and Security and Privacy. However, that doesn’t detract from the nature of these supposed dark patterns, which disincentivize users to load external app stores. After all, Epic might know a thing or two about dark patterns.
In an email statement, a Samsung spokesperson said the company plans to fight Epic’s lawsuit.
“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 safeguarding users’ personal data,” the spokesperson said. “Users have the choice to disable Auto Blocker at any time.”
Gizmodo contacted Google for comment, but we did not immediately hear back.
Epic Games Store is technically back on Android and iOS—though the latter is only available in the EU. However, even when Epic was gearing up for its expected relaunch of Fortnite on phones, the publisher and Sweeney declared they had removed their services from Samsung’s devices. At the time, Epic alleged Samsung worked with Google “to restrain competition in the market for Android app distribution,” echoing its new lawsuit.
Early in 2023, data sleuths uncovered ways Android 14 could restrict users from sideloading older versions of apps. The latest version of OneUI one-upped Google by hindering users from downloading separate app stores by default. You can undo the auto blocker feature through system settings, but Epic argues that this limitation is meant to frustrate users into returning to the Play Store. Epic pointed out that Samsung devices are the largest market share for Android phones in the U.S.
Epic constantly references this monopoly in its 39-page lawsuit. The publisher said Google knew that the more than 15 steps to install Fortnite on Android were purposefully “abysmal.” This was due to an “Unknown Sources” install flow requiring several workarounds. Epic says the Auto Blocker feature is like Unknown Sources since it requires users to go through several extra steps just to install the apps they want to, under the guise of security.
As a recap, Epic started this kerfuffle back in 2020 after it created a way to make in-app purchases in the Epic Games Store possible, circumventing Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store policies. Both tech giants kicked Epic off their platforms, and the publisher sued Google and Apple individually. The court eventually sided with Apple, saying that it wasn’t a monopoly but required the tech giant to open up its ecosystem and allow in-app sales outside the App Store. Compare that to December of last year, when a jury decided Google had a monopoly on Android app stores.
+ There are no comments
Add yours