As a long-time Android user and ardent supporter of fair competition in the tech industry, I applaud Epic Games for taking a stand against what appears to be collusion between Google and Samsung. The 21-step process required to install the Epic Games Store due to Samsung’s Auto Blocker is nothing short of frustrating for gamers like me who just want easy access to our favorite content.
Epic Games is filing a lawsuit against Google and Samsung, claiming they are collaborating to suppress competition by making it standard for Samsung devices to have an Auto Blocker feature that inadvertently hinders other app stores from functioning effectively.
Epic’s new lawsuit against Google and Samsung
At present, Android game enthusiasts must download and run games from the Epic Games Store by installing it as an external app.
As an external app, Samsung’s Auto Blocker guides users through a 21-step procedure to set up the Epic Games Store, which many players find challenging when trying to access Epic’s content. In response, Epic is urging the court to intervene and halt these practices, and they are insisting that Samsung disables the Auto Blocker by default and fosters fair competition.
Today, we initiated a legal action against both Google and Samsung, accusing them of illicit collaboration aimed at stifling competition. By default activating the Auto Blocker function on Samsung devices, they allegedly hampered fair competition in the Android market. This move counteracts the advancements made towards making Android devices more open for competition.
— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) September 30, 2024
In 2023, Samsung introduced a safety measure known as Auto Blocker, designed to prohibit the installation of questionable applications. Initially, users had to manually enable this feature; however, starting from July 2024, it became active by default.
In simpler terms, Epic contends that this specific trait weakens the jury’s collective verdict in the Epic vs. Google case, where it was determined that Google’s deals with device manufacturers were not fair and hindered competition in the mobile market.
Will Epic win again? We think it’s likely.
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2024-10-01 12:09