Copyright TechCrunch
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is calling Google’s proposal in its antitrust settlement with the Fortnite maker a “comprehensive solution” that “genuinely doubles down” on Android’s vision of being an open platform. The companies on Tuesday reached a settlement that sees the search giant agreeing to Android app store reforms that include lowering fees and enabling more competition. Under the new proposal, which still requires the judge’s approval, Google will allow Android app developers to point users to alternative payment mechanisms inside their apps and through external web links. It also caps the fees Google is able to charge developers at either 9% or 20%, depending on the type of transaction. In a post on X, Sameer Samat, president of the Android Ecosystem at Google, wrote that the company’s proposed changes “focus on expanding developer choice and flexibility, lowering fees, and encouraging more competition all while keeping users safe.” If approved by the court, the deal would put an end to the antitrust litigation. Sweeney praised the proposal, calling it “awesome,” and contrasted it with Apple’s model, which he said was focused on “blocking all competing stores and leaving payments as the only vector for competition.” Apple has argued its policies are about protecting consumers and managing App Store security. That said, the iPhone maker recently reported record revenue for its Services business, which includes the App Store — the segment’s revenue rose 15% to $28.75 billion in the last quarter from a year earlier. Epic Games had sued both Google and Apple, accusing their respective app store ecosystems of being anti-competitive, and alleging the companies have too much control, charge excessive fees, and favor their own in-app payment systems. Apple largely won its case with Epic, but had to modify its App Store rules to allow for alternative payment options. Google, however, lost its appeal in July after a jury found that the search giant had stifled competition and needed to make changes.
