Google May Soon Face Antitrust Lawsuit Over Play Store From US States
A group of state attorneys general may file a lawsuit against Alphabet’s Google as early as next week, accusing the search and advertising giant of violating antitrust law in running its mobile app store, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The anticipated lawsuit follows complaints from app developers about Google’s management of its Play Store for Android devices, according to one source. The lawsuit has been in the works since last year and has already been delayed, but seems close again, the sources said.
The investigation by the state attorneys general is being led by Utah, Tennessee, North Carolina, and New York. It is unclear how many states will participate.
Two sources said the case is likely to be filed in federal court in Northern California, where related cases are being heard. These include a lawsuit that video game maker Epic Games filed against Google last year, accusing it of having anticompetitive app store rules. It is expected to go to trial in 2022.
There also are two proposed class-action lawsuits over the Play store before the same judge. If the states want to participate in depositions and other pre-trial activities, they would have to file fairly soon, one source said.
Apple and Epic are awaiting the verdict in a similar California lawsuit after a trial that ended last month.
