Google to host rival US app stores, echoing EU rules
A US court order forcing Google Play to carry competing app stores validates Europe’s regulatory strategy, though strict conditions in the American model show how tech giants can retain control even when forced to open up.
Starting on 22 July, Google will allow rival app stores to operate directly inside Google Play in the United States. The company told a California court it was ready to comply, ending a long-running legal battle with Epic Games.
The shift follows a 2023 jury ruling that Google’s Play Store was an illegal monopoly. In October 2024, Judge James Donato ordered Google to open its platform and share its full app catalogue with competitors.
Google and Epic had previously tried to replace this order with a settlement reportedly involving a secret $800m payment. Under that proposed deal, users would have simply sideloaded rival stores rather than finding them inside Play.
Nancy Rose, a court-appointed economist from MIT, rejected that compromise in a July report. She noted the alternative was "unlikely" to help rivals overcome Google’s grip because users rarely leave the store they already know.
The companies subsequently withdrew their motion to avoid "prolonging this process which creates uncertainty for the ecosystem." This leaves Judge Donato’s original, stricter order in force.
For European businesses and regulators, the US ruling is a clear case of the continent setting the global standard. The Digital Markets Act already forces both Google and Apple to permit rival app stores across the EU. Brazil has opened iOS to competition, Switzerland is probing Google's Android choice screen, and the US Supreme Court recently declined to pause a similar order against Apple.
The financial shockwaves of these disputes are already benefiting European developers. Under its settlement with Epic, Google slashed its store commission from 30% to as low as 10% and permitted developers to use outside payment links.
However, the US implementation offers a warning to Europe about how gatekeepers adapt to regulation. Approved rival stores can pull the Play catalogue into their own shopfronts, but downloads must still run through Google’s infrastructure, meaning Google continues to collect a fee.
Competing stores also face heavy constraints in the US model. They must pay a $5,000 annual review fee, operate exclusively in the US, accept every eligible developer, and keep malware below 1% of installs.
The market is now watching to see which companies step forward. Microsoft has long planned an Xbox mobile store, while Epic and Amazon already run their own platforms.
