A Portuguese app store company, Aptoide, has filed a new antitrust lawsuit in the United States, accusing Google of blocking competition in Android app distribution and payments, according to a Reuters report.
The case, filed in a federal court in San Francisco, claims Google has created a monopoly by controlling how apps are distributed and how payments are processed on Android devices. Aptoide is seeking court orders to stop these practices and is also asking for triple damages.
Allegations of Anticompetitive Conduct: Aptoide, which says it is the world’s third-largest Android app store, argues that Google’s conduct has limited its ability to compete despite offering lower commissions to developers and cheaper options for users. The company claims Google restricts access to popular apps and pushes developers toward its own Play Store and related services.
In its filing, Aptoide said it could have applied more pressure on Google’s pricing and policies, “but for Google’s ‘anticompetitive chokehold’ that shuts out smaller rivals.”
Earlier in October 2018, Aptoide had secured a legal victory against Google when a Portuguese court ordered the tech giant to stop removing the Aptoide app from users’ devices without their knowledge. The company was also among the original complainants in the European Commission’s Android antitrust case that led to a record €4.34 billion fine against Google.
The Epic Games verdict: This lawsuit comes amid increasing regulatory and judicial scrutiny of Google’s business practices across multiple markets. In December 2023, a U.S. jury ruled in favour of Epic Games, concluding that Google had maintained an illegal monopoly in the Android app distribution and in-app billing markets. The verdict marked a significant turning point in global efforts to rein in the company’s control over the Android ecosystem.
Court-Ordered Reforms to Google Play: Following the Epic Games verdict, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ordered Google in October 2024 to implement sweeping reforms aimed at opening the Android ecosystem. These measures included allowing third-party app stores to be distributed via the Play Store, prohibiting exclusive agreements with developers and device manufacturers, and preventing Google from mandating the use of its Play Billing system. The remedies were designed to “level the playing field” for rival app distribution platforms.
Proposed Settlement with Epic: More recently, in November 2025, Google and Epic Games proposed a settlement under which Google agreed to make it easier for users to download and install third-party app stores and to allow developers to direct users to alternative payment methods. The proposal included capped service fees of 9% or 20% on transactions using alternative billing systems, signalling a broader shift toward increased flexibility for developers while maintaining the tech giant’s security framework.
Broader Antitrust Scrutiny: Google’s dominance has also been scrutinised in adjacent digital markets. In August 2024, a U.S. District Court found the company to be a monopolist in the general search market under Section 2 of the Sherman Act, citing exclusionary agreements and the “power of defaults” that limited competition and innovation. These findings reinforce concerns about Google’s broader strategy of maintaining market power through contractual and technological controls.
Aptoide’s case suggests that despite the Epic litigation and subsequent court-ordered changes, smaller rivals still believe Google continues to hold substantial power over Android app distribution.
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