Overview
- Judge James Donato postponed approval of the proposed agreement and questioned whether it meets the legal standard to modify the prior antitrust ruling.
- The judge rejected efforts to keep the full terms confidential, saying he does not want to review the deal “in the dark.”
- The proposal would introduce registered third‑party app stores, ease their installation, permit alternative in‑app and web payments, remove scare screens, and cap commissions at 9–20%.
- Donato noted Google’s appeals delayed enforcement of the 2023 verdict, allowing the company to continue benefiting from conduct a jury found anticompetitive.
- A further hearing is set for December or January, as Epic’s Tim Sweeney and Android chief Sameer Samat publicly touted the deal while court approval remains uncertain.