Canva illustration by Brian Gordon.
Epic Games, the maker of the popular video game "Fortnite," filed a lawsuit on Monday against Google and Samsung, accusing the tech giants of working together to stifle competition in app distribution on Samsung devices.
The case focuses on Samsung's "Auto Blocker" feature, which restricts app installations to only those from authorized sources like the Samsung Galaxy Store or Google Play Store. The feature is enabled by default but can be turned off in the device settings. According to Samsung, Auto Blocker is designed to prevent the installation of apps from unauthorized sources and to block potentially harmful activity.
In the lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, Epic Games argues that the Auto Blocker reinforces Google’s stronghold on Android app distribution. This is the second time Epic has taken legal action against Google. The company says the lawsuit aims to protect competition in the Android app distribution market, which it claims is being undermined by the actions of Google and Samsung.
“Allowing this coordinated illegal anti-competitive behavior to continue harms both developers and consumers,” Epic Games stated on its website. The company added that such practices undermine progress made by regulatory and legislative bodies around the world.
Google has not yet responded to the lawsuit. Samsung, however, defended its practices, saying it encourages market competition and operates fairly. "Our features prioritize security, privacy, and user control. Users can choose to disable Auto Blocker at any time,” Samsung said, emphasizing its commitment to protecting user data. The company also vowed to fight Epic’s claims in court.
Epic launched its own Epic Games Store for Android devices globally and for iPhones in the European Union in August. However, the company argues that downloading a third-party app outside of Google’s or Samsung’s official stores now involves a cumbersome 21-step process. A support page on Epic's website outlines four of these steps, including how to disable the Auto Blocker. Epic claims that the entire process, influenced by both Google and Samsung, creates unnecessary obstacles for users trying to install its store.
This lawsuit follows Epic’s previous legal victory against Google in December when a jury ruled that Google’s practices created barriers that harmed developers and consumers. Epic contends that the Auto Blocker was introduced to counter that ruling and further entrench Google's dominance.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his concerns, stating, “No store can compete when faced with such disadvantages. True competition requires a level playing field for all.”
