Google Play Trial Thrusts Android Empire Into Spotlight
- Jury to weigh whether app store dominance broke antitrust laws
- Tech giant says partnerships help it compete against Apple
Attendees in front of the Google Play booth during the Tokyo Game Show.
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Fortnite maker Epic Games Inc. alleges Alphabet Inc.’s Google has used its billions to “bribe and block” its Android partners and app developers from using alternatives to its lucrative Play Store. After hearing four weeks of testimony, including from Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, a jury is expected to begin deliberating this week over whether the tech giant broke antitrust law.
Google has defended itself by arguing that its partnerships are intended to help it better compete against Apple Inc.’s iPhone, the primary competitor to smartphones that use its Android operating system.