Google seeks delay on sweeping Play store ruling

Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has requested a federal judge in California seeking a delay in a significant court order that required the company to allow more competition in its lucrative Play Store of apps.

The filing comes as U.S. District Judge James Donato’s injunction issued early this week following a lawsuit initiated by Epic Games, the creator of “Fortnite, is set to take effect on November 1. The company requested a pause on the order until it readies an appeal.

According to Reuters, the Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) unit filed its request late Friday, stating that Donato’s order would damage its business and bring “serious safety, security, and privacy risks into the Android ecosystem. ”

In December 2023, Epic, based in Cary, North Carolina, successfully argued before a federal jury that Google (GOOG) illegally stifled competition through its control over app downloads on Android devices and in-app payments, leading to Donato’s injunction on Monday.

Alphabet (GOOG) shares traded lower as the order said that for three years Google (GOOG) could not prohibit rival in-app payment methods and should allow users to download competing third-party Android app platforms or stores.

On Thursday, the company filed a notice of appeal with the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is expected to eventually rule on Donato’s antitrust verdict.