Epic Games to take legal action against Google and Samsung for unfair competition

Epic Games, the creator of the popular game "Fortnite," has announced plans to file a lawsuit against tech giants Google and Samsung, alleging conspiracy to restrain competition in the app market.

The lawsuit, set to be lodged in a U.S. federal court in California, centres on a Samsung mobile security feature known as "Auto Blocker", which Epic claims is designed to prevent users from downloading applications from sources other than Google's Play Store or Samsung's Galaxy Store. According to Epic, this alleged conspiracy violates U.S. antitrust laws by limiting consumer choice and suppressing competition that could potentially lower app prices. 

In response to the allegations, Google has not yet provided a statement. However, Samsung has rebutted Epic's claims, stating it intends to "vigorously contest" what it describes as "baseless claims," according to a recent report by Reuters. Samsung also explained that the features integrated into its devices adhere to core principles of security, privacy, and user control, insisting that users can opt out of the Auto Blocker feature at any time.

The Auto Blocker feature, introduced by Samsung in late 2023, was initially presented as an opt-in security measure to protect users from potentially malicious apps. However, Epic contends that the feature became a default setting in July and intentionally made it difficult to disable or bypass.

Epic alleges that Samsung's Auto Blocker was a strategic move to mitigate the effects of a favourable ruling the company received against Google in December 2023, which is expected to make it easier for users to obtain apps from alternative sources. Epic also plans to raise its concerns with regulators in the European Union, a region that has long scrutinised Google's business practices.

This legal action follows Epic's legal battle with Google and Apple over app store policies that involve commissions, sometimes reaching up to 30%. After a nearly four-year ban, "Fortnite" reappeared on iPhones within the European Union and on Android devices worldwide last month.

Epic Games previously filed a lawsuit against Google in 2020, alleging that the company's controls over app distribution and payment systems hinder competition in the market.