Epic Games has filed a new lawsuit against tech titans Google and Samsung in the latest report. Before that, the game publisher criticized Apple for rejecting its European game store.
The company, led by CEO Tim Sweeney, said the new "Auto Blocker" feature from Samsung increases the number of steps an Android user will need to install an application from an alternative source, such as Epic's app marketplace, and therefore prevents them from doing it.
This is part of Epic's continuing battle to break the app store's monopolies by Apple and Google.
Epic Battles App Store Monopolies
Epic Games first gained attention in 2020 in its attempt to take a legal challenge focused on opening up competition on mobile platforms.
Naturally, downloading apps from various platforms is effortless compared to computers and laptops. Apple and Google, though, managed to maintain control over mobile app distribution through their respective app stores. This allowed them to collect heavy commissions on every sale made through their platform, reaping massive profits.
Having won a minor concession from Apple in the last lawsuit, the saga is far from over. Epic is now turning its attention to Google and Samsung and claims that these companies are limiting users' access to alternative stores, like Epic Games Store, as per Wired.
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Epic Sees Samsung's Auto Blocker Feature as New Hurdle
In another complaint, Epic has alleged Samsung for its default-activated Auto Blocker feature in July. The security feature now requires consumers to adjust more settings to install apps from third-party sources.
According to the Sweeney-led company, the installation process goes from 15 to 21 steps, which is too much for a user to enter the app marketplaces, including Epic's.
At the same time, Samsung defends Auto Blocker as a helpful security tool designed to prevent "applications from unauthorized sources" and "malicious activity."
In a report by XM, Samsung is committed to "vigorously contesting Epic Game's baseless claims."
Meanwhile, Epic argues that added complexity discourages people from even installing the game.
To this, Epic, in a San Francisco federal court today, alleged that Google and Samsung are orchestrating a conspiracy to suppress competition in the app marketplace.
Still, it says that Google and Samsung do not have clear evidence of collaborating directly on this issue. And yet, notes from its previous lawsuit against Google suggest that Google had reportedly conferred with Samsung about limiting competition.
Earlier in the month, Sweeney reached out to Samsung executives in a last-ditch effort to try and settle the dispute, but having failed to reach a compromise, Epic had little option but to head for court.
"We're going to keep fighting till there is a level playing field," said Sweeney, touting the unfortunate necessity of taking to court a company that had not so long ago publicized Epic's wares.
Epic's Vision of the Future
Thus far, the mobile app store has managed to secure over 10 million installations, still considerably far from the ambitious goal it set for itself at the tail end of the year of attaining 100 million.
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