Four years after Epic Games initially filed a lawsuit against Google for alleged monopolistic practices concerning its app store, the developer of Fortnite has now filed a second antitrust lawsuit, this time including Samsung in the allegations. The lawsuit claims that both companies are involved in an illegal conspiracy designed to weaken third-party app stores and restrict competition in the Android ecosystem.
The case, submitted to a U.S. federal court, asserts that Samsung’s Auto Blocker feature obstructs users from installing applications outside the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store.
“This concerns unfair competition, as it misleads users into believing that rival products are inferior,” stated Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. “Google pretends to prioritize user safety by stating that installations from unknown sources are not allowed. However, Google is well aware of what Fortnite is since they have distributed it before.”
While Google has yet to respond to requests for comment, Samsung has announced its intention to “strongly challenge the unfounded claims made by Epic Games.”
Epic contends that this feature intentionally complicates users’ access to alternative app sources, thereby limiting their choices and driving up prices. Both Samsung and Google have refuted these allegations, maintaining that the Auto Blocker is designed to enhance user security.
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