Epic vs Google: Fortnite-maker says Google pays rivals to stay out of Play Store competition

Fortnite-maker Epic has accused Google of abusing power in the Android apps market by charging fees for Google Play Store use, forcing its own payment system, and stifling competition, and now the antitrust trial is on the floors at the US court in San Francisco. The first day of the antitrust trial between Epic Games and Google concluded following opening statements and testimony from two witnesses.

The trial opened with Epic’s lead attorney, Gary Bornstein, presenting a chart indicating that in 2020, Google Play Store accounted for 90% of apps installed, while Samsung’s app store was installed on only a small percentage of Android smartphones. Bornstein argued that Google pays competitors not to compete and gives them money and other incentives, which he believes is anti-competitive.

Despite Google’s argument that it allows “sideloading” of apps, where users can use a browser to install apps, Epic argued that Google discourages users who consider sideloading.