Epic has initiated legal action against Google and Samsung, claiming that Auto Blocker restricts access to alternative app stores
Epic Games has launched a new lawsuit targeting Google and Samsung, contesting the Auto Blocker feature, which it argues restricts access to alternative app platforms and counters a previous jury decision.
Introduced by Samsung in October 2023, Auto Blocker enables users to block the installation of apps not sourced from the Google Play Store or Samsung Galaxy Store automatically.
Initially offered as an opt-in feature, Samsung decided in July 2024 to make Auto Blocker active by default. This change automatically prevents installations of alternative stores like the Epic Games Store, which began offering mobile services in the prior month.
The complaint, submitted to the Northern District of California, seeks a court injunction against Samsung's default activation of Auto Blocker and its "anti-competitive and unfair" practices alongside Google.
Epic is requesting a jury trial for the issue and seeks both monetary relief and compensation for legal fees.
The company asserts that with Auto Blocker turned on, users must complete a "complex 21-step process" to install external apps like its game store, in contrast to the already cumbersome 12 steps on Android due to warnings regarding unknown software sources.
Auto Blocker marks the Epic Games Store as from an "unknown" source, despite prior listings on the Galaxy Store, according to Epic.
"Epic, as a developer, is negatively impacted by Samsung's misleading claims labeling its applications as unknown and unsafe," the company stated. "These inaccurate assertions damage Epic’s reputation and contribute to users abandoning Epic app installations, leading to lost revenue from potential purchases."
Epic contends that this feature essentially makes the Google Play Store the sole practical option for acquiring apps on Samsung devices, effectively eliminating competition from other stores.
Furthermore, Epic claims the Samsung-Google collaboration undermines the jury's conclusions from their earlier antitrust lawsuit against Google, which Epic won in December.
The jury had unanimously found Google to be engaging in anti-competitive actions by requiring developers to utilize the Play Store's payment systems and purportedly providing financial incentives to retain them on that platform.
"The jury's ruling was clear; Google's agreements with original equipment manufacturers hindering competition are illegal," Epic stated. "This not only applies to Google but also to the manufacturers that collaborate with them. We are committed to ensuring the full enforcement of this ruling."
