Epic’s lawsuit “in favor of all developers” raises doubts: does the lawsuit against Samsung and Google make sense?

In a new twist in its battles, Epic Games has once again filed a lawsuit, this time directed against Google and Samsung. The accusation revolves around alleged anticompetitive behavior that, according to Epic, discourages Android users from downloading apps outside of the Google Play Store. On this occasion, the center of the controversy is Samsung’s Auto Blocker feature, which prevents the installation of apps from unauthorized sources on Galaxy devices. Although Samsung defends that this feature has a security purpose, Epic labels it as a tool designed to consolidate Google’s monopoly on app distribution.

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Epic admits it has no evidence

The Auto Blocker was introduced by Samsung in October 2023 as a protective measure to prevent users from installing dangerous applications from unknown sources. This mechanism is enabled by default on Galaxy devices and blocks the installation of unauthorized applications unless the user manually disables it. There is the option to disable the feature during the initial device setup and also to disable it temporarily, but Epic argues that its existence prevents fair competition in app distribution.

The lawsuit filed by Epic alleges that both Samsung and Google have intentionally collaborated to ensure that the Auto Blocker strengthens the monopoly of the Google Play Store. According to Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, he has told The Verge, this measure “cements Google Play Store as the only viable method to obtain applications on Samsung devices,” excluding other app stores. However, Sweeney admits that he has no evidence of collaboration between the two companies, but hopes to discover more information during the judicial investigation process.

Although Epic claims it is fighting for all developers and not just for its own benefit or in search of special treatment, the reality is different. During Epic’s trial against Apple in 2020, it was revealed that Sweeney had requested special treatment for Fortnite, its flagship game, which would have allowed the use of third-party payment gateways without going through the App Store commissions. In the trial, when asked if he would have accepted that exclusive deal, Sweeney responded affirmatively, admitting that he wouldn’t have minded if Apple didn’t offer the same deal to other developers.

While Sweeney claims that his fight against Google and Samsung is for the good of the entire developer ecosystem, the company’s actions paint a different picture.

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Samsung, for its part, has firmly defended the Auto Blocker, emphasizing that it is a security tool that users can disable if they wish. Both Google and Samsung have labeled Epic’s lawsuit as unfounded. Meanwhile, the outcome of this new legal battle between Epic and the tech giants remains to be seen, but Epic’s track record and the contradictory statements of its CEO suggest that the company’s own interests may be playing a more significant role than is publicly admitted.