Epic Games, the maker of the popular “Fortnite” video game, has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet’s Google and Samsung, alleging that the two companies conspired to protect Google’s Play Store from competition. The lawsuit, set to be filed in U.S. federal court in California, claims that Samsung’s mobile security feature, Auto Blocker, is designed to deter users from downloading apps from sources outside of the Play Store or Samsung’s Galaxy Store.
Epic contends that this practice violates U.S. antitrust laws by limiting consumer choice and preventing competition that could lower app prices. Tim Sweeney, Epic’s CEO, emphasized that the issue centers on misleading users into believing that competitors’ products are inferior to those of Google and Samsung. He pointed out that while Google claims to prioritize user safety by restricting app installations from unknown sources, it has previously distributed Fortnite itself.
Google has yet to comment on the allegations, while Samsung has stated its intention to “vigorously contest” Epic’s claims. The company asserted that the features integrated into its devices align with its core principles of security, privacy, and user control, adding that users can disable Auto Blocker at any time.
The lawsuit also references a December 2023 U.S. court ruling in favor of Epic, which is expected to make it easier for users to obtain apps from alternative sources. Epic plans to raise its competition concerns with regulators in the European Union, which has been scrutinizing Google’s business practices for some time.
Epic Games previously clashed with Google and Apple over app store payment rules, which can charge up to 30% in commissions. After a nearly four-year ban, Fortnite was made available again on iPhones in the European Union and on Google’s Android devices last month.
Samsung introduced the Auto Blocker feature on its smartphones in late 2023 as an opt-in measure to protect users from downloading potentially harmful apps. However, Epic alleges that Samsung made Auto Blocker the default setting in July 2024 and has made it challenging for users to disable or bypass this feature.
