Introduction 

In the ongoing tale of battle between these two titans, Google and Epic Games, a new appearance has taken place. Following the factual conviction of Google of having violated antitrust laws relative to its Play Store by a state court last December, Epic is back with an ever growing list of demands in order to almost completely transform the Play Store. Nevertheless, Google is not about to pull the towel just as yet. Now, we need to split it open and look inside.

Google Cries Foul: “Far too much, and far too self-serving”

In a just-filed brief, Google wishes to dismiss Epic’s remedies because they are too much and too self-serving. From Google’s perspective, Epic’s remedies would balloon into a global regulatory regime and the judge would manage every intricate piece of the Android ecosystem used by over two billion users.
Here’s a quick rundown of Epic’s audacious asks:

  • Partitioning out Android to third-party app stores.
  • So that the users will be able to find all of the apps made by Google in those stores.
  • Promulgating the removal of the limitations on pre-installed apps though.
  • No Google services to be enabled whose main objective is to motivate third parties.

The Counterarguments: Pandora’s box-closed with many problems.

Google fears that getting a green light from the demands entitles an unfair competition and protects the Android users and developers. He alleges that Epic’s offerings go in line with its own interests and are meant to curtail control by other developers over the distribution of their Apps.
Here are some of Google’s main concerns:

  • Companies would give up on the cooperation worked out with Google.
  • Users would be adapting to the increased risks of security and privacy.
  • The phrasing of Epic’s suggestion would bear testimony to the courts constantly, which would be a lot inconvenient.
  • This would, in principle, mean the court should do the management of Google instead of the latter.

A Matter of Perspective: The Problem with Google’s “Sustainable” Model vs Epic’s “Unfair Advantage”

In a statement to Engadget, Wilson White, Google’s VP of Government Affairs & Public Policy, defended the company’s position, stating:
“The privacy, security, and overall experience of consumers, developers, and device manufacturers would be negatively affected if Epic fulfilled its ultimatum.” However, their plan goes well beyond the United States’ recent trial court judgement, which we will challenge, and is also not feasible as we reached an agreement with State Attorneys General from every state and multiple territories last year. We will keep on defending our business model, as we grow and innovate together with developers while the Android ecosystem develops and, finally, benefits everybody.
On the contrary, Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, accuses the tech giant Google of maintaining monopolies on payments and the “Google Tax on Third-Party Transactions”. He, further, clarified that the company (Epic) shall settle the case only after Google does away with the practice of monopolies and price competition.

Conclusion 

As the dust settles, one thing is clear: this struggle is not yet finished. Both sides dogmatically adopting their stances, the fate of the Android apps distribution is in question. Who will prevail: Google”s “green” system or will Epic successfully demolish the Play Store walls? The only solution lies with time (and may be the help of some more lawsuits).

The best is yet to come! Watch out for the next cliffhanger in this tech industry soap opera!