Epic Games sues Google and Samsung over phone settings, accusing them of violating antitrust laws

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Category: Technology/Innovations

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. at issue / æt ˈɪs yu / (idiom) – being discussed or considered an important part of a topic
    Example:

    At issue is whether the company will close down because of decreasing sales over the past three years.


  2. malicious / məˈlɪʃ əs / (adj.) – designed to cause damage to a computer system, or steal private data from a computer system
    Example:

    The software is designed to block malicious emails.


  3. negate / nɪˈgeɪt / (v.) – to make something lose its effect or value; to cancel out
    Example:

    By negating the contract, the company faced legal consequences.


  4. onerous / ˈɒn ər əs / (adj.) – involving a task or responsibility that is difficult, requiring a lot of effort, or causing a burden
    Example:

    Managing a big project is an onerous responsibility for the new manager.


  5. antitrust / ˌæn tiˈtrʌst / (adj.) – relating to measures that stop companies from doing unfair business practices that control prices or limit competition
    Example:

    Small businesses can survive because antitrust laws are strictly followed.


Article

Read the text below.

Video game maker Epic Games sued Google and Samsung, accusing the tech companies of coordinating to block third-party competition in application distribution on Samsung devices.


At issue is Samsung’s “Auto Blocker” feature, which only allows for apps from authorized sources, such as the Samsung Galaxy Store or Google Play Store, to be installed. The feature is turned on by default but can be changed in a phone’s settings. The tool prevents the installation of applications from unauthorized sources and blocks “malicious activity,” according to Samsung.


In a lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court—Epic’s second against Google—the company said Auto Blocker “is virtually guaranteed to entrench Google’s dominance over Android app distribution.” Epic, developer of the popular game “Fortnite,” filed the lawsuit to prevent Google from “negating the long overdue promise of competition in the Android App Distribution Market,” according to the complaint.


“Allowing this coordinated illegal anti-competitive dealing to proceed hurts developers and consumers and undermines both the jury’s verdict and regulatory and legislative progress around the world,” Epic Games said in a post on its website.


Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Samsung said it “actively fosters market competition, enhances consumer choice, and conducts its operations fairly.”


Epic launched its Epic Games Store on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide in August. The company claims that it now takes “an exceptionally onerous 21-step process” to download a third-party app outside of the Google Play Store or the Samsung Galaxy Store. A support page on Epic’s website shows a four-step process to remove the Auto Blocker setting. Epic said those steps, combined with Google’s and Samsung’s “install flow,” are part of the 21 steps to download the Epic Games Store.


Epic won its first antitrust lawsuit against Google in December after a jury found that Google’s Android app store had been protected by anti-competitive barriers that damaged smartphone consumers and software developers.


The game maker says the “Auto Blocker” feature was intentionally crafted in coordination with Google to preemptively undermine the jury’s verdict in that case.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • According to Samsung, the “Auto Blocker” is designed to protect users from dangerous applications. What do you think about Samsung’s “Auto Blocker?” Do you think it is a good phone feature or setting? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Have you ever been worried about downloading apps on your phone that might be dangerous? Why or why not? How do you determine which applications are secure or safe? Is there anything that companies can do to better inform consumers about the dangers of downloading unauthorized apps? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Epic won its first antitrust lawsuit against Google, a big tech company, in December. Do you think this affects Google? Why or why not? How do you feel about big companies losing lawsuits? Do you think lawsuits can have a strong impact on how people view these companies? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • How might the result of the lawsuit influence other tech companies in similar positions to Google? Do you think big companies will start making changes in their policies since Google lost a lawsuit? Why or why not? Discuss.