For a three-year period ending November 1, 2027, Google is prohibited from conditioning payments, revenue sharing, or access to its products on an app developer’s agreement to launch an app first or exclusively on the Google Play Store. The company is also barred from penalizing developers who offer versions of an app on third-party platforms that include features not available in the version on the Google Play Store.
Developers will gain more freedom to communicate with their users. Google may not prohibit developers from informing users about an app’s availability or pricing outside the Play Store, nor can it prevent them from providing a direct link to download the app from another source.
Significant changes will also apply to billing. Google may no longer mandate the use of Google Play Billing for apps on its store or prohibit the use of alternative in-app payment methods. Developers will be free to inform users about these other payment options, and Google cannot require a developer to set a price based on whether its billing system is used.
To promote competition, Google is forbidden from sharing Google Play Store revenue with any entity that distributes Android apps or plans to launch a competing app store. Furthermore, Google cannot tie payments or product access for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or carriers to an agreement to preinstall the Google Play Store in a specific location on an Android device.
A three-person Technical Committee will be formed to oversee these terms. Epic and Google will each select one member, and those two will choose a third. Appointed by the Court, this committee will resolve disputes regarding the technology and processes required by the order. If the committee cannot resolve an issue, either party may bring it before the Court. Each party will bear the cost of its own committee member, with the cost of the third member being shared equally.
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