• Source:Reuters
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Epic Games accused Samsung, the biggest Android phone maker globally, and Alphabet's Google of working together to shield Google's Play store from rivalry. Epic announced that it would sue Samsung in a California federal court, claiming that the Korean company's mobile security feature Auto Blocker was designed to prevent users from downloading apps from places other than the Play Store or Galaxy Store.

China's Tencent-backed U.S. startup Epic claimed that Samsung and Google are breaking American antitrust laws by stifling competition that would drive down app prices and decrease consumer choice.

Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic, told reporters, "It's about unfair competition by misleading users into thinking competitors' products are inferior to the company's products themselves."

READ: Epic Games Accuses Apple Of Stalling European Launch Of Epic Games Store On iOS; Details

"Google claims that installing apps from unknown sources is prohibited in an attempt to protect users. Since Google has already distributed Fortnite, they are aware of what it is."

Requests for comments were not immediately answered by Google. According to Samsung, it would "vigorously contest Epic Game's baseless claims." Users have the option to disable Auto Blocker at any time, according to Samsung's statement.

"The features integrated into its devices are designed in accordance with Samsung's core principles of security, privacy, and user control, and we remain fully committed to safeguarding users' personal data," the company said.

According to Epic, Samsung's Auto Blocker was created to lessen the effects of a December 2023 U.S. jury decision that Epic won against Google and is anticipated to compel the firm to make its apps easier to purchase from other sources.

Epic added that it will also bring up its worries about competition with European Union officials, who have been examining Google's business practices for a while.

Epic had previously fought Google and Apple over their policies allowing them to deduct up to 30% of app store purchases as commission. It was once again accessible last month on iPhones in the European Union and globally on Google's Android smartphones, following a nearly four-year prohibition.

READ: Epic Games Store To Launch Later This Year For iOS And Android Users; Details

In late 2023, Samsung released Auto Blocker as an optional function for its smartphones to shield consumers against downloading potentially malicious apps. According to Epic, Samsung purposefully made Auto Blocker difficult to disable or get around when it became the default setting in July.

In 2020, Cary, North Carolina-based Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that the latter's monopoly over app distribution and payment hampered competition.