Epic Games Accuses Google and Samsung of Antitrust Violations Over App Distribution

Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against Alphabet's Google and Samsung, accusing them of violating U.S. antitrust laws. The complaint centers on Samsung's Auto Blocker feature, which Epic claims deters users from downloading apps outside Google’s Play Store. The suit follows a December verdict that found Google maintained an illegal monopoly.

Epic Games, the maker of the popular video game “Fortnite,” has accused Alphabet’s Google and Samsung of conspiring to protect Google’s Play Store from competition.

The company announced on Monday that it would file a lawsuit in U.S. federal court in California. Epic alleges that Samsung's smartphone security feature, Auto Blocker, is designed to prevent users from downloading Android apps from sources other than Google’s Play Store or Samsung's Galaxy Store. According to Epic, this move reduces consumer choice and violates U.S. antitrust law.

The game company says this lawsuit is part of a larger global effort to defend competitive practices that benefit consumers. They also plan to raise these competition concerns with regulators in the European Union.

(With inputs from agencies.)