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Ninth Circuit Upholds Injunction Forcing Google to Open Play Store

Google must allow rival app stores, permit alternative payment systems on Play Store following the Ninth Circuit ruling.

A logo is pictured at Google's European Engineering Center in Zurich, Switzerland July 19, 2018. Picture taken July 19, 2018. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
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Overview

  • A unanimous Ninth Circuit panel rejected Google's appeal of a 2023 jury verdict and Judge James Donato’s October 2024 injunction requiring Play Store reforms
  • The court’s injunction compels Google to let users download third-party app stores from Play Store and grant those stores full access to Play’s app catalog along with alternative in-app payment methods
  • Google’s vice president Lee-Anne Mulholland warned the decision could undermine user safety and innovation as the company prepares an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court
  • Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced that the Epic Games Store will launch directly within Google Play, removing the need for sideloading
  • Microsoft, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission filed briefs supporting Epic’s antitrust claims to bolster competition on Android