A US judge ordered Google to fix barriers blocking alternative app stores from reaching Android users through the Play Store. Judge James Donato found that extra steps and confusing search results constituted deliberate anticompetitive friction designed to discourage users. Aptoide became the first non-Google store to access the Play Store in early August, following an October 2024 injunction tied to a 2023 jury verdict finding Google had maintained an illegal monopoly over Android app distribution. The judge specifically noted that search algorithms failed to surface alternative stores unless users typed exact terms. The seven-day compliance deadline is unusually aggressive for an antitrust case, suggesting the required changes are relatively straightforward.
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