On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block a lower court order requiring Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google to overhaul its Play Store, marking a major win for "Fortnite" maker Epic Games.
Supreme Court Upholds Sweeping Injunction Against Google
The justices declined Google's request to halt key portions of an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge James Donato, reported Reuters.
Judge Donato ruled that the tech giant had violated antitrust laws by monopolizing how consumers access apps and make in-app purchases on Android devices.
The decision means Google must comply with provisions that force it to open the Play Store to rival app marketplaces and allow developers to include external payment links in their apps — enabling users to bypass Google's billing system and its associated fees.
According to court filings, the external-link rule will take effect later this month, while broader reforms requiring access for competing app stores are scheduled for July 2026.
Google said in a statement it was "disappointed" by the Supreme Court's action but vowed to continue its appeal.
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Epic Games CEO Celebrates Legal Entitlement For Developers
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney welcomed the ruling, writing on X, formerly Twitter, that app developers will soon be "legally entitled" to direct users to out-of-app payment options without fees and other friction.
The San Francisco-based company filed the original lawsuit in 2020, arguing that Google's restrictive policies unfairly locked out competition and forced developers to use its in-house payment tools.
A jury sided with Epic in 2023, finding Google had abused its dominance in app distribution.
Apple's Parallel Battle With Epic Games
The case mirrors Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) ongoing dispute with Epic, which earlier this year forced the iPhone maker to restore Fortnite to its App Store and permit alternative payment methods after similar court orders.
In June, a U.S. appeals court rejected a similar attempt by Apple to delay a federal judge's order compelling the company to open its profitable App Store to increased competition.
Price Action: Alphabet Inc.'s Class A shares rose 2.07% on Monday, while Class C shares fell 2.05%, per Benzinga Pro.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate GOOGL continues to show solid upward momentum across short, medium and long-term horizons. More detailed performance metrics can be found here.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
