Epic just won its Google lawsuit again, and Android may never be the same | The Verge

It may be open season on Google Play.

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Epic’s Big Win Over Google

Epic just scored a “total victory” as the Ninth Circuit upheld the 2023 jury verdict that Google’s Play Store and its billing system are illegal monopolies, reviving a permanent injunction that had been paused. Google now has about two weeks (plus an emergency week granted on appeal) to start opening up Android to third-party app stores—even as it continues to fight the ruling.

This injunction could force Google to host rival stores inside the Play Store, give competitors full access to its app catalog, and ban mandatory use of Google Play Billing for three years. Google warns of security and user-safety risks but still has eight months (beyond the stays) to propose a “narrowly tailored” solution—so don’t expect a true store-in-store until 2026, though bans on forced billing could kick in much sooner.