Alternative App Store: Aptoide files antitrust lawsuit against Google in the USA

The alternative app store Aptoide filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in the USA on Tuesday over alleged monopolization. Aptoide, the provider of an alternative Android app store, accuses Google of excluding competing app stores from the market by monopolizing app distribution and billing, thus violating US antitrust law.

“Anticompetitive chokehold”

The Portuguese company Aptoide specializes in smartphone games and describes itself as the third-largest Android app store and the fastest-growing app store and distribution platform in the world. According to the latest published figures, the store records over 430 million users and one million apps.

As reported by the news agency Reuters, Aptoide could have exerted significantly more pressure on Google's pricing and policies if it weren't for Google's “anticompetitive chokehold” that excludes smaller competitors. The company further stated that it offers developers lower commissions and users lower costs but “suffers from irreparable harm because Google deprives rivals of exclusive content from top developers and steers developers to Google Play and other 'must have' services.”

The lawsuit filed in the Federal Court in San Francisco (Case No. 26-cv-03165) aims for an injunction against the alleged anti-competitive practices. Furthermore, Aptoide seeks an unspecified triple damages award. This is not Aptoide's first lawsuit against Google. As early as 2014, the company had filed an antitrust complaint with the European Union's antitrust authorities regarding Google's dominant position in the app market.

Legal Disputes in the Android Ecosystem

Most recently, Google suffered a defeat in its years-long legal battle against Epic. The two parties then agreed on an extensive restructuring of the Android ecosystem. Among other things, Google intends to offer app developers alternative billing options and enable easier installation for alternative app stores, provided they undergo a registration process with Google. The app stores must meet certain quality and security standards. The changes do not alter the criticism repeatedly voiced for months by alternative app store providers like F-Droid regarding Google's mandatory registration for app developers.

(afl)