US Court Orders Google to Make Play Store Install Rival App Stores More Easily Within One Week
A US judge has ordered Google to modify the Google Play Store within one week after finding it deliberately created friction to stop users from finding and installing rival app stores.
Judge James Donato of the US District Court ordered Google to improve the Google Play Store so users can find and download third-party app stores such as Aptoide as easily and directly as downloading ordinary apps, setting a deadline of just one week.
The order follows the antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games against Google. During the hearing, the court found three clear examples of anticompetitive friction: first, when users searched for "store for apps" or related terms, the results did not directly show rival app stores but instead jumped to general retail stores; second, Google showed a "View" button instead of "Install," forcing users to tap through multiple screens before they could install; and third, it displayed banners and pop-up warnings between steps that were not technically necessary.
Google is therefore required to make three specific changes: change the button to "Install" so users can install directly, adjust search results to properly show alternative app stores according to search intent, and remove the interstitial windows and banners that block installation.
The case reflects a broader trend in which regulators and courts worldwide are scrutinizing how giant platforms use their advantage as operating-system owners to indirectly shut out rivals through seemingly minor user-flow designs that can have an enormous impact on competitors’ business opportunities.
Many Android users, including in Thailand, could soon have more convenient options for downloading apps outside the Play Store. It is also an important signal that the law is beginning to seriously punish big platforms for gaining an edge over rivals through system design.