Google Gets Order Delay To Reshuffle Play Store

The feud between Google and Epic Games, getting hotter (photo: x @verge)

JAKARTA - A federal judge in California has granted Google's request to temporarily delay an order requiring the company to overhaul Android app store Play Store, before November 1, in order to provide consumers with more options in downloading software.

This decision was made by US District Judge James Donato, on Friday 18 October as part of an antitrust lawsuit filed by makers of "Fortnite," Epic Games. Google argued that Donato's injection order on 7 October would harm the company and pose a "serious risk to security and privacy" in the Android ecosystem.

Donato postponed the injection to give the 9th US Court of Appeals a chance to consider Google's request to suspend a judge's order. However, Donato rejected Google's separate request to delay the order during a broader appeal in this case.

"We are pleased with the District Court's decision to temporarily delay the implementation of the malicious solution requested by Epic, while the Court of Appeal is considering our request to further postpone the solution as we appeal," Google said in a statement.

Epic, in a statement, called Donato's decision procedural, and said the court "has made clear that Google's appeal is baseless and rejected their request to delay the opening of Android devices for competition during the appeal."

Epic accused Google of using "baseless concerns about security" to maintain its control over Android devices and continue to charge high fees.

In Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit, the jury last year found that Google illegally monopolizes the way consumers download apps on Android devices and the way they pay for in-app transactions. The judge's orders cover many recommendations from Epic based on the jury's decision.

The order requires Google to allow users to download third-party app platforms that compete on the Play Store and allow the use of payment methods in competing applications. In addition, Google is prohibited from making payments to device manufacturers to install the Play Store and share revenues generated from the Play Store with distributors of other apps.

Google has filed an appeal against the antitrust findings to the 9th US Court of Appeals. Google argued that the Play Store competed directly with Apple's App Store, and that Donato's order would unlawfully force Google to cooperate with its competitors.