The neat part of this is that they're requiring Google to give up their library of apps to other stores and won't allow them to buy up exclusives for at least 3 years. I suspect we will see a lot of scam app stores really soon, though.
Nice, if this means easily being able to tell Google Play Services to fuck off without having to do sketchy things to people's phones then yay. Those are some big rulings, hope none of it gets changed!
I'm a little surprised at the characterization in the headline. I only have a handful of things installed from Google's app store myself so I felt like the alternatives are out there but I guess for official services' apps it's at the brand's discretion which app stores Google Play Services will enforce they be installed from or something?
if this means easily being able to tell Google Play Services to fuck off without having to do sketchy things to people’s phones then yay.
This doesn't. The article's title is pretty bad since it's mostly about google play store. 3rd party app stores need to be allowed onto the google play store instead of being sideload only.
Starting November 1st, 2024, and ending November 1st, 2027, Google must also:
Stop requiring Google Play Billing for apps distributed on the Google Play Store (the jury found that Google had illegally tied its payment system to its app store)
Let Android developers tell users about other ways to pay from within the Play Store
Let Android developers link to ways to download their apps outside of the Play Store
Let Android developers set their own prices for apps irrespective of Play Billing
Google also can’t:
Share app revenue “with any person or entity that distributes Android apps” or plans to launch an app store or app platform
Offer developers money or perks to launch their apps on the Play Store exclusively or first
Offer developers money or perks not to launch their apps on rival stores
Offer device makers or carriers money or perks to preinstall the Play Store
Offer device makers or carriers money or perks not to preinstall rival stores
Damn, wouldn't this just disincentivize Google from doing anything anymore? This is basically making them not make any money from their app store.
Not that I really give a shit, but I want understand it better.
Edit: is this also gonna come to apple, too? Or has it already happened to them?
Apparently, Apple is only required to allow third-party stores in the EU. Hopefully only a matter of time before a similar case forces their hand in the US.
It's not like Epic set the terms, so not really hypocritical of them. That's to keep Google from immediately capturing the market again, though. Otherwise they would just spend enough money to make all the top apps exclusives and that would prevent competition from forming (in an ideal setting, none of this shit will really matter it's just gonna end up being Google, epic, and maybe 2 more that will end up being about the same as just having Google)
I am not a fan of epic games store myself but,
Exclusives are not the problem it's monopolizing 99.99% of all apps and installs. It's OK for small app stores to have exclusives because there isn't enough money in the world a small company could spend that would destabilize Google app store at this point.