The developer of Fortnite, Epic Games, has filed a lawsuit against Google and Samsung. The company claims that the Auto Blocker feature on Samsung devices hinders the installation of alternative app stores.
Samsung introduced the Auto Blocker in October 2023. This feature automatically prevents the installation of apps not available through the Google Play Store or Samsung Galaxy Store. Initially, users had to enable the Auto Blocker themselves, but as of July 2024, Samsung began activating it by default on all its devices.
In the lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California, Epic Games seeks to prohibit Samsung from enabling Auto Blocker by default. The company also asks the court to stop what it describes as "anti-competitive and unfair practices" by Samsung and Google. Epic Games insists on a jury trial and seeks monetary compensation for damages and reimbursement of legal fees.
According to Epic Games, users with Auto Blocker activated must complete an "extremely complicated 21-step process" to download external applications, such as the Epic Games Store. In comparison, devices without this feature only require 12 steps due to multiple warnings about software from unknown sources.
Epic Games accuses Samsung of spreading false claims that its applications are unknown and dangerous. The company asserts that this harms its reputation and leads to a loss of potential users and profits.
This lawsuit is related to a previous case Epic Games had against Google, which the company won in December of last year. At that time, jurors unanimously found that Google engaged in anti-competitive behavior. Epic Games believes that the partnership between Samsung and Google undermines the jury's decision in that case.
Source: Gamesindustry, The Verge
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