Epic Games Accuses Samsung and Google of Colluding to Prevent Sideloading on Galaxy Devices

Samsung and Google: BFFs Blocking Your App Fun? Epic Games Says “Hold My Beer!”

So, it seems like our good friends over at Epic Games, the masterminds behind the “Fortnite” phenomenon, have decided to throw a legal grenade into the cozy relationship between Samsung and Google. They’re crying foul, claiming these two titans are teaming up to make it harder for you to download apps from anywhere other than the Google Play Store.

The weapon of choice? A Samsung feature called “Auto Blocker,” which basically acts like a bouncer at the app club, preventing apps from unauthorized sources from getting in. Samsung claims it’s all about safety, protecting your precious Galaxy phone from the riffraff of the app world.

But Epic smells something fishy. They’re saying this “Auto Blocker” is actually a sneaky way to make sure the Google Play Store reigns supreme, squashing any competition from other app stores. They’re essentially calling Samsung and Google the Regina George and Gretchen Wieners of the app world – trying to control the whole lunch table.

Epic points to a previous legal battle they won against Google, where a jury agreed that Google was acting like a monopolist with its app store. Now, Epic claims Samsung’s “Auto Blocker” is an attempt to undermine that victory.

Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, admits he doesn’t have hard proof of collusion between Samsung and Google, but he’s hoping to find some juicy evidence during the legal process – think of it as a corporate scavenger hunt for incriminating emails.

Now, Sweeney claims he’s fighting for all developers, not just Epic. But let’s be real, Epic has a history of throwing legal punches when they don’t get their way. They previously went toe-to-toe with Apple over similar issues, initially asking for special treatment for “Fortnite” before claiming to champion the cause of all developers.

So, what does Epic want? They want the court to tell Samsung to get rid of “Auto Blocker” as a default setting. Samsung, naturally, is throwing back punches, saying “Auto Blocker” is a user-friendly security feature that can be turned off at any time. Google, in its usual style, is brushing it off, saying the lawsuit is “meritless.”

It’s a classic tech showdown – big players, big accusations, and potentially big implications for how we get our apps in the future. Grab your popcorn, folks, this could get interesting.