Google is obliged to open the Play Store to competitors and allow external payments

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Google's request to temporarily suspend parts of a court ruling that requires the company to make changes to its Play Store app store. This was reported by the Reuters news agency.

The judge in the Epic Games (Fortnite) case decided that Google should allow Android users to install alternative app stores and provide competitors with access to the Play Store. These changes will take effect in July 2026 .

Also, Google should allow developers to add links to bypass their payment this month.

The corporation expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court's decision and confirmed its intention to appeal it. The lawsuit has been ongoing since 2020, when Epic Games accused Google of monopolizing access to Android apps. In 2023, Epic won a jury trial in San Francisco.

As a reminder, Google is not obliged to sell Android and Chrome. Recently, the EU fined Google for almost 3 billion euros for abusive advertising practices.