A California judge is demanding that Google become more competitive

A US judge issued a preliminary injunction against Google on Monday, siding with competitor Epic Games and ordering the internet giant to change the conditions on its Play Store app platform to make it more competitive.

Google wants to appeal the ruling.

Judge James Donato, ruling for the Northern District of California of the US District Court, ordered that starting November 1, Google will no longer require app developers to use the Internet company's own payment system in the Play Store.

In addition, developers must be allowed to inform users within the Google platform where their apps are available outside of the Play Store. Google also may not offer developers incentives for not putting their apps in competing app stores.

The rules apply only to the United States. The European Union already has its own rules for large online platforms in the Digital Services Act (DMA).

Google criticizes conditions

Google could lose revenue in its US app business as a result of the decision. The internet company reiterated earlier criticism that the requirements demanded by Epic would only benefit the gaming company, but could harm users, app developers and device manufacturers.

Google criticized the court, saying it viewed the Android smartphone business as a separate market and did not take into account competition from Apple's iPhone.

Competing app stores have long been allowed on Android smartphones. However, in the Epic trial, the jury concluded that Google used unfair means to make it more difficult for them to do business. After the ruling, Epic boss Tim Sweeney announced that the company would open its own app store in Google's Play Store in the US next year.

“Big news!” Sweeney wrote on Google.”

The dispute has been going on for more than four years. In August 2020, Epic Games, the developer of the popular Fortnite game, smuggled a version of the game past Apple and Google into their app stores, where digital items could be purchased through another payment processor without incurring a fee to the companies to the platform rules.

Apple and Google then removed the Fortnite app from their download offerings. Epic was unable to prevail against Apple in a US court.