Fortnite is suing Google for allegedly abusing its power & trying to create a monopoly in the Google Play Store
The game is accusing the tech giant of misusing its authority over in-app distribution and payments and violating several federal antitrust regulations in the process
They have further said that this has led to inflated consumer prices and has got their productivity & innovation level down in the market
Gary Bornstein, the attorney of Epic Games presented data from 2020 stating that the Google Play Store dominated the installation of apps at 90 percent while other app store had minimal engagements
Epic Games accused Google of providing financial incentives to its rivals to cut off any competition and create a monopoly by making the market anti-competitive
Google also imposes a 30% (from 20%) commission over in-app purchases in its Play Store which has led to over a profit of $12 billion annually
Epic Games had a similar legal problem with Apple in 2021 which was following the dispute with Google in 2020
During their legal battle with Apple, the judge presiding over the case refused the idea of Apple operating as a monopoly in the market
The ongoing legal battle further adds to problems for Google because of its ongoing antitrust issues
Google is defending itself in a Washington court where it has been accused by the US Department of Justice of unlawfully monopolizing the market and shutting down every competition