Epic Games’ Victory against Google’s Antitrust Lawsuit: What’s the Next Move?

Google’s defeat in the antitrust battle with Epic Games was a significant upset to the business model of the mobile app ecosystem. The ecosystem operates on platforms hosting app stores and taking a cut of developer revenues. Now, the ruling has left developers confused about the outcome. A San Francisco jury recently ruled in favor of Epic Games, concluding that Google “willfully acquired monopoly power by engaging in anticompetitive conduct.” However, the punishment is yet to be decided by the court. The Play Store is unlikely to undergo significant changes until the judge’s final decision. This includes developers continuing to pay their commissions to Google as before. The judgement may also influence other companies operating walled garden business models, setting legal precedent for them as well. It may encourage businesses to make changes in their models to avoid legal risks in the future. The ruling will apply additional pressure on the tech giants to follow the rules and ensure a fair competition in the app economy.