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Judge gives Google one week to fix "anticompetitive" app store download in Google Play (arstechnica.com)

submitted 1 week ago by pelespirit@sh.itjust.works to c/technology@piefed.social

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While there is a link to the Play Store’s alternative app store page, it’s buried several levels deep in its confusing menus. Epic lawyer Yonatan Even showed the court that even searching for “app store” and “aptoide” didn’t show the intended results like any other search. Instead, the Play Store shows an “are you looking for” banner that links to the third-party app store page.

Google’s lawyers contended in the hearing that Epic had already agreed that app stores are in a special category due to their expanded permissions, so the extra step was appropriate. The court didn’t buy that explanation, though.

“That is not acceptable,” said Donato. “That has to be fixed. I want every possible variation that’s even only 70 percent properly phrased.”

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[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

From my own personal experience, I tried to download Aptoide and it downloaded a completely different app. It said it was Aptoide and then it was a weird sponsored product that showed up. Then when I searched again for Aptoide, it said that it wasn't available to download.

[–] antonim@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Maybe it was a fake/scam app presented as Aptoide?

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It was from their search engine and listed as Altoide. It had to be google misrepresenting it or they have a really fucking serious problem that just happens to be the only time it ever happened, and an app they hate.

[–] antonim@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

listed as Altoide

Then that's obviously a scam.

I just checked myself, searching for "aptoide" results in a notification before the actual results that directs to the "third-party app store page" where I can download Aptoide Games (idk if that one's legit either, admittedly, but clearly they're developing a special system for this).

just happens to be the only time it ever happened

Play Store has been known for many years to host scam apps, copyright-infringing knockoffs, etc. Supposedly they have reined it in a bit recently, but it's extremely far from "the only time it ever happened".