Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Aptoide has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Google over Android app distribution and in-app billing.
- The company says Google’s conduct has harmed independent app stores through OEM lock-in agreements, developer exclusivity deals, and added friction for alternatives.
- Aptoide says the complaint builds on findings from the Epic case, and argues the company is still being harmed by Google’s practices.
Google has already been pushed to open up Android a bit more after the Epic case forced Google to start outlining Android app store changes, but one rival store says it still hasn’t gone far enough. Independent Android app store Aptoide announced this week that it has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Google, accusing it of unfair practices in both Android app distribution and in-app billing.
In its press release, Aptoide confirms the complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Essentially, Aptoide says Google has made it too difficult for rival app stores to properly compete on Android, while also keeping a firm grip on the billing side of things.
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