see url:
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-07-11-36-us-states-sue-google-over-its-alleged-play-store-monopoly-and-antitrust-practices
Quote<<<
Washington D.C. and 36 states have filed a lawsuit against Google for
alleged antitrust practices.
As reported by Politico (thanks, TheGamer), the lawsuit - which was
filed on Wednesday, 7th July 2021 in California and led by Arizona,
Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah
- reportedly challenges the megacorp's control of the Android app store.
The filing takes umbrage with Google's plans to take a 30 per cent cut
of all digital goods and services sold via its Play Store from September
and is just one of several ongoing litigation battles taken out against
the company over Google's perceived search engine and advertising
monopolies.
In response to the filing, Google said it was a "meritless lawsuit" and
thought it "strange" that a group of state attorneys general "chose to
file a lawsuit attacking a system that provides more openness and choice
than others".
"This complaint mimics a similarly meritless lawsuit filed by the large
app developer Epic Games, which has benefitted from Android's openness
by distributing its Fortnite app outside of Google Play," the company's
senior director of public policy, Wilson White, said in a statement.
"We understand that scrutiny is appropriate, and we're committed to
engaging with regulators. But Android and Google Play provide openness
and choice that other platforms simply don't.
"This lawsuit isn't about helping the little guy or protecting
consumers. It's about boosting a handful of major app developers who
want the benefits of Google Play without paying for it. Doing so risks
raising costs for small developers, impeding their ability to innovate
and compete, and making apps across the Android ecosystem less secure
for consumers."
>>>End of Quote