Epic has sued Google for making it so difficult to install the Epic Games Store, and now Samsung is also involved.

Epic Games, which recently won a long-running court case against tech giant Google, has decided to try again. This time, it's even bringing in Samsung for good measure.

Samsung is at the heart of this lawsuit, as amusing as it may be to imagine Epic CEO Tim Sweeney advising Tim Cook to "get a few more guys to make it fair." The issue revolves around Epic's plan of launching its own store on Android, which would allow it to distribute its games and eventually other games without having to pay an enormous cut in revenue. Epic has the legal right to do this after its courtroom win--and it did--but Google, Samsung and Epic claim that they are making it as difficult as possible to discourage users from using it.

Epic announced its lawsuit by writing, "We are filing court action against Google and Samsung for their coordinated efforts to prevent competition in app distribution through Samsung's Auto Blocker feature that is enabled by default." "Auto Blocker represents the latest in a series of agreements in which Google has agreed to not compete with Samsung to protect Google's power. Auto Blocker makes the Google Play Store the only way to download apps for Samsung devices. This prevents any other store from competing in a fair manner.

"Our litigation alleges Samsung's recent implementations of the Auto Blocker were intentionally crafted with Google in coordination to preemptively undermine U.S. District Court’s remedy following the verdict in Epic's lawsuit against Google. The jury found Google's app-store practices illegal, including the illegal agreements Google enters with phone manufacturers like Samsung."

Samsung's Auto Blocker is a security feature that prevents users from downloading software from unapproved sources. This is ostensibly to protect Android owners from getting malicious software on their phone. This is not unusual. Samsung changed Auto Blocker to be enabled by default in July 2024, just before the launch of Epic Games Store for mobile. This is what Epic is upset about.

Epic described the process of turning it off as "an exceptionally onerous 21-step process." Epic provided images to reinforce the point. It's not an impossible task, but it does look like one.

Epic claims in the lawsuit that Auto Blocker was enabled by default because of a "coordinated decision" by Google and Samsung. Epic also states that Samsung has not imposed any "additional barriers" or restrictions on direct downloads or third-party stores during its 15 years as a manufacturer of Android devices. The lawsuit claims that Google and Samsung engaged in "a large number of atypical communications between firms that go far beyond the "standard fare" of business and trade association practice." Samsung's decision to "entrench" the Play Store monopoly only makes sense as part of "a quid pro-quo" between companies.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney stated that the net result would be to drive Android users away from third-party apps and back to Google Play Store where Google can take a 30% cut.

"If we try to compete with Google Play or Samsung Galaxy Store, and their 70% revenue sharing, by offering developers an 88 percent revenue share, and 50% of our users quit, then, after accounting for lost revenue and users, that 88 percent revenue share is reduced to a 44% effective revenue share," Sweeney wrote, hopefully wearing a chainmail hood. "This disadvantage makes it impossible for any store to compete with the incumbents. To ensure true competition, all reputable apps and stores must be allowed to compete on an equal playing field. Our lawsuit is aimed at achieving this.

Sweeney admitted in an interview, as reported by The Verge that Epic does not have proof of collusion. He hopes it will be revealed during the discovery process. He also said Epic did not request approval from Samsung as an "authorized supplier" because the goal was not to get "special priviledges" for Epic but to make the platforms accessible for all developers. He said he also approached Samsung privately and requested that Auto Blocker was reverted to a opt-in feature or that Samsung create an "honest whitelisting process" to allow users to access legit apps. But the two companies could not agree on how to work it, leading to legal action.

This is a separate and ongoing process (made more complicated by the fact that the US does not require Apple to allow third party stores). But there's a certain similarity in play: The EU’s 2022 Digital Markets Act, which requires Apple to permit third-party storefronts for iOS devices, hasn't made it easy. This is a separate, ongoing process. It's further complicated by the US not requiring Apple to allow third party stores. But there's a certain similarity: the letter of the law has been followed but its spirit - in Epic's opinion - remains elusive.