It is now being sued by the games
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How Epic Invented Auto Blocker: A Key Account of the Competition between Google, Samsung, and Third-Party App Stores
Sweeney wouldn’t necessarily commit to suing other companies that erect barriers to third-party app stores, but says Epic is “watching that very closely.”
In the press conference, Sweeney acknowledged that Epic doesn’t have clear evidence that Google and Samsung collaborated to roll out Auto Blocker. The jury trial against the search company last year showed that they regularly engaged in discussions with the opposing side to limit competition. The accusations were denied by the company.
Epic claims it now requires “an exceptionally onerous 21-step process” to download a third-party app store onto a Samsung phone, making it that much more likely users will give up somewhere along the way.
When I search for “turn off auto blocker” in my Samsung phone’s universal search bar, there are no relevant search results; when I search for “auto blocker,” I have to tap through several additional screens to shut it off. One of them asked if I was really sure that the auto blocker kept my phone safe.
“The thing’s not designed to protect against malware, which would be a completely legitimate purpose,” says Epic CEO Tim Sweeney. It was designed to prevent competition.
He said that the 100 million target for the store had been surpassed with 10 million mobile installs. He characterizes that as “traction but not an enormous amount.”
Is “Ignoring litigation” about the U.S. Small Business Model?” Sweeney told reporters prior to the initial public comment on the lawsuit
“It is not about reasonable measures to protect users,” Sweeney told reporters in a briefing ahead of the lawsuit filing. It’s about obstruction of competition.
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