Federal Judge Orders Google One Week to Fix Anticompetitive Play Store Download Restrictions
A federal judge has handed Google a strict seven-day ultimatum to dismantle restrictive Android Play Store policies that impede third-party app store distribution and alternative payment methods.
Federal District Judge James Donato issued a scathing order today giving Google exactly seven days to submit a concrete compliance plan opening Android devices to competing app marketplaces. The directive stems from the landmark antitrust judgment won by Epic Games, which found Google's Play Store tie-in contracts and billing mandates anticompetitive.
The judge rejected Google's request for a prolonged execution stay, ruling that the tech giant has intentionally delayed implementation of court-ordered remedies designed to allow seamless third-party app store downloads and direct web installs on Android hardware.
Key Injunction Requirements Imposed on Google
Under the court mandate, Google must immediately remove developer contract clauses that forbid listing alternative app stores inside Google Play. Furthermore, Google is prohibited from warning users with deceptive security pop-ups ("sideloading scares") when installing verified third-party marketplaces.
"Google has enjoyed years of illegal monopoly lock-in," Judge Donato stated in the filing. "The court will not grant further delays while competition remains suppressed."
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Android Ecosystem Transformation
If Google fails to deliver satisfactory compliance tools within the one-week deadline, the court warned it will appoint an independent special master to oversee Android operating system app distribution code directly.
The ruling is expected to accelerate the arrival of third-party Android app stores from major gaming publishers, software companies, and telecom carriers globally.