Court Orders Google (a Monopolist) To Knock It Off With the Monopoly Stuff
www.eff.org
A federal court recently ordered Google to make it easier for Android users to switch to rival app stores, banned Google from using its vast cash reserves to block competitors, and hit Google with a bundle of thou-shalt-nots and assorted prohibitions.Each of these measures is well crafted, narrowly...

For the next three years, Google must meet the following criteria:

  • Allow third-party app stores for Android, and let those app stores distribute all the same apps as are available in Google Play (app developers can opt out of this);
  • Distribute third-party app stores as apps, so users can switch app stores by downloading a new one from Google Play, in just the same way as they’d install any app;
  • Allow apps to use any payment processor, not just Google’s 30 percent money-printing machine;
  • Permit app vendors to tell users about other ways to pay for the things they buy in-app;
  • Permit app vendors to set their own prices.

Google is also prohibited from using its cash to fence out rivals, for example, by:

  • Offering incentives to app vendors to launch first on Google Play, or to be exclusive to Google Play;
  • Offering incentives to app vendors to avoid rival app stores;
  • Offering incentives to hardware makers to pre-install Google Play;
  • Offering incentives to hardware makers not to install rival app stores.
  • @[email protected]English
    6•1 month ago

    I don’t really understand the 1st requirement…

    allow 3rd-party app stores

    So, apparently f-droid/aurora/etc are not allowed or something?

    let stores distribute the same stuff gplay does

    As in “give 'em a way to pull stuff from gplay and not punish for letting ppl download it”? Mb useful, but the lack of specificity may defend the purpose. Like currently, AFAIK, nobody really prevents ppl from publishing both on gplay and f-droid, for example

    The rest lgtm

    • @[email protected]English
      9•1 month ago

      Probably because of this?

      Distribute third-party app stores as apps, so users can switch app stores by downloading a new one from Google Play, in just the same way as they’d install any app; Allow apps to use any payment processor,