Overview
- U.S. District Judge James Donato postponed approval and set another hearing for December or January to further review the proposed agreement.
- The judge rejected requests to keep full terms confidential, saying he would not evaluate the deal without public disclosure.
- Donato questioned remedies that would still allow Google to collect up to 20% on in‑app purchases and to approve which alternative app stores can be installed.
- The proposal includes easier installation of registered third‑party app stores, alternative payment options, developer pricing flexibility for alternative channels, removal of scare screens, and U.S. fee caps of 9–20%.
- A separate court order already bars Google from forcing U.S. developers to use Google Play Billing, as Epic and Google publicly promote the settlement as expanding choice and lowering fees.