Google has officially filed a request with the Ninth Circuit Appeals Court to halt the preliminary injunction that requires the company to open the Play Store to competitors. This request comes after Google lost an antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games, where a federal jury found that the company illegally monopolizes the distribution of apps and in-app billing services within the Android system.
Earlier this month, Judge James Donato issued a ruling that forces Google to allow third-party app stores access to the Google Play app catalog, enabling these stores to be present on its store interface.
Now, Google is seeking the court to suspend the execution of this ruling while appealing the antitrust lawsuit decision, warning that this will expose around a hundred million US Android users to significant new security risks.
The company spokesperson described this ruling as harmful and unjustified, pointing out that if it continues, it will negatively impact Google’s ability to provide a safe and reliable user experience. Google emphasized that allowing third-party app stores to download from Google Play may create false beliefs among users that the company ensures the security of those stores, increasing risks to users.
Google also noted that these app stores may not adhere to strict protection standards, opening the door for harmful and malicious apps to access devices.
Additionally, the company warned that allowing developers to link from their apps could pose a significant risk with deceptive links, as malicious parties can exploit this feature in phishing attacks to breach users’ devices and steal their data.
