Aptoide sues Google again
Aptoide, an independent Android app store, filed a fresh lawsuit accusing Google of maintaining an 'anticompetitive chokehold' on rivals and reviving legal precedents around Play Protect. The claim sits alongside larger U.S. antitrust scrutiny of Google’s advertising and distribution practices. (benzinga.com, ainvest.com)
Aptoide sued Google in San Francisco federal court on April 14, accusing the company of illegally blocking rival Android app stores and payment systems. (reuters.com) The complaint seeks an injunction and unspecified treble damages under United States antitrust law. Aptoide said Google’s control of app distribution and billing kept smaller stores from competing on price and policy. (reuters.com) Aptoide is based in Portugal, focuses on mobile games, and describes itself as the world’s third-largest Android app store. Reuters reported that Aptoide said it had about 436,000 apps and more than 200 million annual users in 2024. (reuters.com) The case lands as Google is still dealing with the fallout from Epic Games’ antitrust win over the Play Store. In December 2023, a jury found Google had engaged in anticompetitive conduct in Android app distribution and in-app billing. (cravath.com, ca9.uscourts.gov) That verdict largely held up on appeal. On July 31, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the jury verdict and the district court’s permanent injunction against Google. (ca9.uscourts.gov) Google and Epic then told the court in November 2025 that they had reached a settlement over Play Store changes. Reuters reported the proposed deal included Android and app store reforms aimed at lowering fees and expanding options for developers and users. (reuters.com) Aptoide’s new suit points back to an older fight over Play Protect, Google’s Android security system that scans apps and warns users about potentially harmful software. Aptoide previously challenged Google in Europe after Play Protect warnings identified its store in ways Aptoide said scared users away. (ainvest.com, support.google.com) That earlier dispute produced a 2018 interim order from a Portuguese court directing Google to stop certain warning language about Aptoide’s app. Aptoide now argues the same security tools can be used as a distribution barrier against competing stores. (ainvest.com, pocketgamer.biz) Google said it would defend itself and that Android’s openness gives developers multiple ways to distribute apps and users more choice than rival platforms. The next step is the early court fight over whether Aptoide can turn those claims into another lasting set of Play Store rules. (reuters.com)
