A new legal confrontation in the United States has brought Google back into the antitrust spotlight, as Portuguese app marketplace Aptoide files a lawsuit accusing the company of unlawfully preserving its dominance over Android app distribution and in-app payments. The case, lodged in federal court in San Francisco, adds to mounting scrutiny of Google’s control over its mobile ecosystem.(Reuters)
Aptoide contends that Google has effectively shut out competing app stores through a combination of technical integration and commercial practices. Despite operating a sizeable platform with hundreds of thousands of apps and more than 200 million users each year, the Lisbon-based company argues it has been unable to expand on equal footing. At the core of its complaint is the claim that Google’s Play Store is deeply embedded within essential Android services, making it the default—and often unavoidable—distribution channel for developers.
According to Aptoide, this setup goes beyond the advantages of scale or innovation. The lawsuit alleges that Google systematically directs developers toward its own platform while restricting the ability of rivals to access key applications and audiences. This dynamic, described as an “anticompetitive chokehold,” is said to limit not only app distribution but also competition in payment systems, where Google has long exercised significant control.
Aptoide maintains that these practices have caused lasting damage, including lost users and reduced access to high-demand content. It argues that, in a more open environment, it could offer stronger competition through lower commissions and more favourable conditions for both developers and consumers. The company is seeking both an injunction to halt the contested conduct and financial compensation, including treble damages.
The dispute builds on a broader pattern of legal challenges faced by Google in recent years. In Epic Games v. Google, a U.S. jury concluded that the company had unlawfully maintained monopoly power in Android app distribution and billing, leading to commitments to adjust its Play Store practices. Additional cases, including those brought by U.S. authorities, have also questioned Google’s dominance in adjacent markets such as online search.
Aptoide argues that previous remedies have not gone far enough to restore genuine competition. Its lawsuit raises a broader issue for digital markets: whether incremental policy changes can meaningfully open platforms, or whether more fundamental structural measures are required.
The outcome of the case could have far-reaching consequences, potentially reshaping how apps are distributed on Android devices and influencing the competitive landscape for developers and alternative app stores worldwide.
