Google and Samsung face antitrust lawsuit from Epic Games
Samsung’s Auto Blocker, introduced in late 2023, is at the centre of a new lawsuit by Epic Games, which argues it was designed to restrict consumer choice and violate antitrust laws.
Epic Games has accused Google and Samsung of conspiring to protect Google’s Play Store from competition through Samsung’s Auto Blocker feature. The gaming company plans to file a lawsuit in a United States court, alleging that the Auto Blocker, introduced in late 2023, deters users from downloading Android apps from sources outside Google’s Play Store or Samsung’s Galaxy Store.
Epic argues that Samsung’s Auto Blocker was made the default setting in mid-2024 to reduce the impact of a 2023 US court ruling that required Google to make it easier for users to access apps from alternative sources. Epic claims this action violates US antitrust laws by reducing consumer choice and stifling competition, which would otherwise drive down app prices.
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, described the lawsuit as part of a larger global effort to defend competition and its benefits for consumers. The company also plans to raise these concerns with regulators in the European Union, which has scrutinised Google’s business practices in the past.
Epic previously sued Google in 2020, accusing the tech giant of maintaining an illegal monopoly over app distribution and payments. The lawsuit follows the verdict in that case, where a US court found Google had acted unlawfully.