A federal judge in California has granted Google’s request to temporarily delay an order mandating significant changes to its Android app store, Play, following an antitrust lawsuit filed by Fortnite creator, Epic Games. The decision, made by U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco on Friday, postpones the enforcement of the overhaul until November 1st to allow time for further legal review.
The October 7th injunction required Google to provide more options for consumers to download software, but Google argued that implementing the changes could introduce substantial safety, security, and privacy risks to the Android ecosystem. The judge’s decision permits the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review Google’s separate request to halt the order. However, Judge Donato declined to suspend the order for the full duration of Google’s broader appeal.
Google expressed relief at the temporary pause, stating, “We’re pleased with the District Court’s decision to temporarily pause the implementation of dangerous remedies demanded by Epic, as the Court of Appeal considers our request to further pause the remedies while we appeal.”
In contrast, Epic dismissed the ruling as merely procedural, accusing Google of using fearmongering and unsubstantiated security threats to protect their control over Android devices.
Epic’s lawsuit had previously led to a jury finding that Google had unlawfully monopolised the ways consumers download apps and make in-app purchases on Android devices. Judge Donato’s order had embraced several of Epic’s proposed remedies based on this decision.
The order required Google to allow users access to third-party app stores via the Play Store and to enable alternative in-app payment methods. It also prohibited Google from paying device manufacturers to preinstall its app store and from sharing Play Store revenue with other app distributors.
Google has appealed the jury’s antitrust findings, maintaining that the Play Store competes directly with Apple’s App Store, disputing claims that it holds a monopoly.