Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, previously accused Google of monopolizing the Android app market and won a lawsuit in December last year. Now, they have filed another lawsuit, this time against both Google and Samsung. The claim accuses the two companies of conspiring to undermine third-party digital content stores.
The lawsuit centers around the “Auto-Lock” feature, which is enabled by default on new Samsung smartphones. When this feature is active, users are restricted from installing apps unless they are downloaded from “authorized sources,” which includes only Google’s and Samsung’s proprietary app stores. According to Epic Games, no third-party store can become an “authorized” one under this system.
The Epic Games Store and Samsung’s Restrictions
Back in August 2020, when Epic Games sued both Google and Apple, the company had not yet launched its own mobile app store. However, on August 16, Epic Games Store was officially introduced for Android devices globally and for iOS in the European Union. This move was largely in response to European regulations requiring Apple to allow alternative app stores.
Epic Games claims that, just a month before the launch of their store, Samsung made Auto-Lock the default setting, effectively blocking third-party apps. The company argues that the process of installing apps from a third-party store now involves a complex 21-step procedure, likely deterring users from completing it.
Auto-Lock Feature and Allegations of Collusion
The lawsuit further argues that the Auto-Lock feature does not evaluate the safety of apps or their sources before blocking them, notes NIXSolutions. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney stated that this is not a malware protection feature but a tactic to suppress competition. Although Sweeney admits there is no concrete evidence of direct collusion between Google and Samsung, he hopes the legal proceedings will uncover more information.
Epic Games did not request that Samsung authorize their store. Instead, they suggested either disabling Auto-Lock by default or creating a fair whitelist process. When the parties failed to reach an agreement, Epic Games opted to take legal action.
We’ll keep you updated as the case develops.
Samsung has yet to confirm whether Auto-Lock actually scans apps for security risks. The company maintains that users can disable Auto-Lock during initial setup. Google, meanwhile, denies any collaboration with Samsung to block third-party app installations.