Google Has Just Two Weeks To Begin Cracking Open Android, It Admits In Emergency Filing

Yesterday, when Epic won its Google antitrust suit for a 2nd time, it wasn’t rather clear really soon Google would request to commencement dismantling its affirmed forbidden monopoly.

Today, Google admits nan reply is: 14 days. Google has conscionable 14 days to enact awesome changes to its Google Play app store, and nan measurement it does business pinch phonemakers, cellular carriers, and app developers, unless it wins an emergency enactment (pause) from nan Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals arsenic it continues to appeal. It must extremity forcing apps to usage Google Play Billing, let app developers to freely steer their users to different platforms, and limit nan perks it tin connection successful speech for preinstalled apps, among different changes.

Those changes would not yet see Epic’s biggest wins. They don’t yet unit Google to transportation rival app stores wrong nan Google Play Store, aliases to stock its afloat app catalog pinch those rival stores, truthful don’t expect nan Epic Games Store or nan Microsoft Xbox Store to look wrong Google Play rather yet.

When he issued the imperishable injunction to statesman cracking unfastened Android, Judge James Donato gave Google 8 months to travel up pinch a “narrowly tailored” strategy of information and information procedures earlier it would beryllium forced to transportation rival app stores, and Google has 7 and a half months near now nan erstwhile enactment has been lifted. So rival app stores won’t look wrong Google Play until 2026 astatine nan earliest.

But according to Google’s emergency enactment request, it believes different changes are required acold faster: “the remedies successful 4-7, 9-10, and 13 of nan District Court’s injunction will spell into effect successful 14 days.” Google claims this is an emergency because it’ll person a “significant impact” connected “millions of Google’s users and complete 500,000 app developers—as good arsenic Google itself,” and that “requiring these changes to beryllium imposed successful only 14 days would expose users and developers to important risks and jeopardize nan full Android ecosystem.”

So, which remedies are 4-7, 9, 10, and 13? They’re nan ones that:

• Stop Google from forcing app developers to usage Google Play Billing
• Let Android developers show users astir different ways to salary from wrong nan Play Store
• Let Android developers nexus to ways to download their apps extracurricular of nan Play Store
• Let developers group their ain prices
• Stop sharing money aliases perks pinch phonemakers, carriers, and app developers successful speech for Google Play exclusivity aliases preinstallation
• Work pinch Epic to resoluteness immoderate disputes arsenic Google builds a strategy to fto rival app stores in

Some of these provisions reflector changes that Epic scored successful its different mostly unsuccessful antitrust suit against Apple. They return connected what are known arsenic anti-steering rules — policies that, now successful 2 awesome cases, courts person agreed unfairly limit developers’ entree to a competitory market.

I’ve copied each of those required remedies retired of Judge Donato’s injunction truthful you tin publication for yourself:

4. For a play of 3 years ending connected November 1, 2027, Google whitethorn not share revenue generated by nan Google Play Store pinch immoderate personification aliases entity that distributes Android apps, aliases has stated that it will motorboat aliases is considering launching an Android app distribution platform aliases store.

5. For a play of 3 years ending connected November 1, 2027, Google whitethorn not condition a payment, gross share, aliases entree to immoderate Google merchandise aliases service, connected an statement by an app developer to motorboat an app first aliases exclusively successful nan Google Play Store.

6. For a play of 3 years ending connected November 1, 2027, Google whitethorn not condition a payment, gross share, aliases entree to immoderate Google merchandise aliases service, connected an statement by an app developer not to motorboat connected a third-party Android app distribution level aliases shop a type of an app that includes features not disposable in, aliases is different different from, nan type of nan app offered connected nan Google Play Store.

7. For a play of 3 years ending connected November 1, 2027, Google whitethorn not condition a payment, gross share, aliases entree to immoderate Google merchandise aliases service, connected an statement pinch an original instrumentality shaper (OEM) aliases bearer to preinstall nan Google Play Store connected immoderate circumstantial location connected an Android device.

9. For a play of 3 years ending connected November 1, 2027, Google whitethorn not require the usage of Google Play Billing successful apps distributed connected nan Google Play Store, aliases prohibit nan usage of in-app costs methods different than Google Play Billing. Google whitethorn not prohibit a developer from communicating pinch users astir nan readiness of a costs method different than Google Play Billing. Google whitethorn not require a developer to group a value based connected whether Google Play Billing is used.

10. For a play of 3 years ending connected November 1, 2027, Google whitethorn not prohibit a developer from communicating pinch users astir nan readiness aliases pricing of an app extracurricular the Google Play Store, and whitethorn not prohibit a developer from providing a nexus to download nan app outside nan Google Play Store.

13. Within 30 days of nan day of this order, nan parties will urge to nan Court a three-person Technical Committee. Epic and Google will each prime 1 personnel of the Technical Committee, and those 2 members will prime nan 3rd member. After assignment by the Court, nan Technical Committee will reappraisal disputes aliases issues relating to nan exertion and processes required by nan preceding provisions. If nan Technical Committee cannot resoluteness a dispute aliases issue, a statement whitethorn inquire nan Court for a resolution. The Technical Committee whitethorn not extend immoderate deadline group successful this order, but whitethorn urge that nan Court judge aliases contradict a request to extend. Each statement will carnivore nan costs of compensating their respective party-designated committee personnel for their activity connected nan committee. The 3rd member’s fees will beryllium paid by the parties successful adjacent share.

We’ve asked Google really immoderate of these remedies mightiness “expose users and developers to important risks,” and we’ll fto you cognize what we hear.

The three-judge Ninth Circuit sheet denied Google’s earlier mobility for a stay, and affirmed that each parts of Judge Donato’s imperishable injunction were valid and appropriate, truthful I’m not judge why it would o.k. this enactment instead. However, Google is signaling that it could entreaty to some nan afloat Ninth Circuit, and to nan Supreme Court.

You tin publication Google’s afloat emergency enactment petition below: