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Google Loses Appeal to Pause App Store Overhaul Ordered in Epic Lawsuit

By  |  September 14, 2025

Alphabet’s Google has lost a bid to extend a freeze on a federal court order requiring major changes to its Play Store operations, according to Reuters. On Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco rejected Google’s request to keep the injunction on hold while it appeals the ruling in its antitrust clash with Epic Games, the maker of “Fortnite.”

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    The order, originally issued by U.S. District Judge James Donato, compels Google to allow Android users to access rival app stores through the Play Store and make its app catalog available to competitors. The court determined that Google had not met the high threshold needed to justify halting the injunction, per Reuters. While some requirements take effect within 30 days, others allow Google up to 10 months to comply.

    The appeals court also declined to rehear the case en banc, meaning Google’s next option is to petition the U.S. Supreme Court. In a statement, Google said it was disappointed by the ruling and argued that the injunction threatens user privacy and security.

    Epic Games welcomed the decision. Chief Executive Tim Sweeney posted on X that developers and consumers will benefit from the changes. Epic’s lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused Google of monopolizing Android app distribution and payments. A jury in San Francisco sided with Epic in 2023, finding that Google had engaged in anticompetitive practices.

    Related: Google Ordered to Pay $425 Million Over Privacy Breach

    According to Reuters, Donato’s injunction prohibits Google for three years from blocking alternative in-app payment systems and requires it to permit competing Android app platforms. The order also bars the company from paying device makers to preinstall its app store or sharing Play Store revenue with distributors in exchange for exclusivity.

    Google has maintained that it did nothing wrong and has warned that the injunction, if enforced alongside the jury’s verdict, would leave it and Apple operating under inconsistent legal standards. Epic had filed a similar case against Apple but lost most of its claims.

    Source: Reuters