Google Ordered To Make Sweeping Changes, Open Android App Store To Rivals (theverge.com) 28
A U.S. federal judge has mandated significant changes to Google's Android app store operations. Judge James Donato's ruling in Epic v. Google requires Google to allow rival app stores within its Play Store and grant them access to its app catalog for three years, beginning November 2024.
The order prohibits Google from requiring its payment system for Play Store apps and permits developers to inform users about alternative payment methods. Google is also barred from offering incentives for app launch exclusivity or sharing app revenue with potential app store competitors. The ruling restricts Google from providing financial perks to device makers and carriers for Play Store exclusivity.
The order prohibits Google from requiring its payment system for Play Store apps and permits developers to inform users about alternative payment methods. Google is also barred from offering incentives for app launch exclusivity or sharing app revenue with potential app store competitors. The ruling restricts Google from providing financial perks to device makers and carriers for Play Store exclusivity.
up yours wapo (Score:3)
Story is paywalled and wapo stories aren't worth the effort of evading a paywall. Anyone have a link to a story that's worth reading on this subject? What does giving them access to their app catalog mean?
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Too lazy to look yourself?
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I was on my phone at the time, where it's a PITA.
You could have just scrolled by if you had nothing of value to add, but I see that was impossible for you.
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Story is paywalled and wapo stories aren't worth the effort of evading a paywall. Anyone have a link to a story that's worth reading on this subject?
Try pasting the link to TFA into archive.is to search for an archived version.
lol. not going to happen. (Score:5, Informative)
First of all:
...ruling in Epic v. Google requires Google to allow rival app stores within its Play Store and grant them access to its app catalog...
An app store within an app store? That won't confuse consumers at all! Especially when they will have the same apps in them.
But really the main issue is the time table. Nov 2024? Nothing goes from courtroom to implemented in less than a month. There will be an emergency injunction and even if Google ultimately loses they will have a year or two to make the necessary changes.
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Re: lol. not going to happen. (Score:2)
As my post said, even if it does happen it won't be by November. The judge giving that time frame is laughable. That's simply too short a lead time for complying with a court order. Look at Epic vs. Apple, EU vs. Apple, etc. Compliance deadlines are always into future calendar years because of technical challenges and legal work needed to institute these plans.
Re: lol. not going to happen. (Score:3)
Amazon's app store exists because Amazon makes their own devices and has their own Android fork. It's an attempt to get the same revenue stream Google enjoys from Android phone platform.
Side-loading Google Play Store onto an Amazon Fire OS device has been a popular way to "jailbreak" (very loose use of the term) and get access to apps outside the AMZN walled garden. I haven't really heard of anyone doing the opposite (putting Amazon's store on an Android device) because there wasn't much reason to. The norm
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I don't think people are confused by stores within stores at all. Brick-and-mortar stores have been doing it for generations. Walmart has other smaller stores inside its walls, as does every other big-box store. Shopping malls are exclusively devoted to this concept.
On the digital ide, Amazon is full of third-party product stores. We all seem to manage the complexity.
So NOT the EU...?? (Score:2)
Re: So NOT the EU...?? (Score:2, Interesting)
It still hasn't happened yet but it's inevitable in the US. Overall, as a society, we prefer to take more measured approaches when heavy handed intervention is necessary. Europe's inability to take measured approaches is why they can't compete in basically everything. Take for example, they decided to ban GMO before they even understood it. Yet the scientific consensus on it being safe is even stronger than that of climate change. Now they're way behind the rest of the world in agriscience, they have a popu
Re: GMOs suck (Score:1)
Thanks for proving my point. Have some gluten free wheat.
Reality (Score:4, Funny)
In the lawyers heads:
"Now people can buy stuff from the Epic, Microsoft and Sony stores while still in the Android store, and use Visa or Mastercard directly"
In reality:
"I bought something from the Sorny Megagames Store and paid with Versa, and now my bank account is gone."
Just make it buyer beware... (Score:2)
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What are you talking about! They already "shrug their shoulders" when it comes to apps in their own app store.
Good. (Score:3)
Look, I don't pretend to understand how it's possible that Google's Play store is a monopoly but Apple's App Store isn't, but whatever.
This is good for Google and Google should embrace it. Google should start running ads bragging about opening up Android. This is Nashian Economics and will benefit everyone -including Google- if they play this right. But because everyone in Silicon Valley wants to have the next monopoly, you know they won't.
Another loss-making app store (Score:2)
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Well I have never paid for an app, so F-Droid suits me fine. Apps without ads.
So I wouldn't give money to Google either.
App Store paywall (Score:2)
A paywalled new organization reporting on google being told paywalls are anticompetitive.
Should paywalled news sources be forced to allow other news organizations free access to paywalled content so their competitors can resell it?
Why is Apple allowed to have closed App Store (Score:2)
Will this ruling shortly be affecting Apple too, making it "open season" on IOS?
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This is Epic's game - pick on google so they can go right after apple afterwards.
Good.
Then let all of them fall afterwards.
Will developers focus on Android first (Score:2)
Before Apple since they won't have to share profits with Google.