App‑store fight goes to court
A rival Android app store has sued Google in the U.S., accusing it of monopolising app distribution and billing and effectively locking out competitors. That case arrives as regulators broaden focus on the infrastructure of digital markets and the FTC publishes a more programmatic five‑year plan for enforcement, signalling sustained scrutiny of distribution and billing rails ( ).
Aptoide, a rival Android app store, sued Google in San Francisco on April 14, accusing it of monopolizing app downloads and in-app payments. (reuters.com) The complaint says Google used the Play Store, Google Play Billing, and deals with phone makers and developers to keep alternative stores from reaching users at scale. Aptoide asked for an injunction and treble damages under United States antitrust law. (reuters.com) Aptoide is based in Lisbon and says it had about 436,000 apps and more than 200 million annual users in 2024. It says lower commissions should have let it pressure Google’s pricing, but that Google’s “chokehold” blocked that competition. (reuters.com; aptoide.com) The case lands after Epic Games won a jury verdict against Google in December 2023 over Android app distribution and billing. In July 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld that verdict and a three-year injunction. (ca9.uscourts.gov) That injunction barred Google from paying developers, device makers, carriers, or app distributors for advantages tied to the Play Store. Reuters also reported that Google agreed in November 2025 to make Android and app-store changes to settle the Epic case. (ca9.uscourts.gov; reuters.com) Google says Android already allows users to install apps outside the Play Store, a practice often called sideloading. In an August 2025 developer post, Google said users would still be free to use “any app store they prefer” even as it added developer-verification rules for certified Android devices. (android-developers.googleblog.com) Google has framed those changes as a security measure, not a competition barrier. Aptoide’s lawsuit argues the opposite: that billing rules, default placement, and access to “must-have” Google services still steer developers and users back to Google’s own store. (android-developers.googleblog.com; reuters.com) Regulators are also widening the lens beyond a single company. On April 3, the Federal Trade Commission published its strategic plan for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, saying it will track goals around competition, illegal monopolies, and consumer protection over the next five years. (ftc.gov; ftc.gov) That plan does not name Google or app stores, but it sets a timetable for continued antitrust enforcement in digital markets. The Aptoide suit now tests whether courts will keep pushing open the payment and distribution rails that run much of the mobile app business. (ftc.gov; reuters.com)
