Google Tells Supreme Court Changes to App Store Would Cause ‘Irreparable Harm'

Core Viewpoint - Google is seeking to pause a lower court's ruling that mandates changes to its app store policies, claiming that these changes would cause "irreparable harm" to its Android ecosystem [1]. Group 1: Legal Context - The lower court's ruling, stemming from an antitrust case filed by Epic Games, requires Google Play store to eliminate restrictions that prevent developers from establishing their own marketplaces and billing systems [2]. - The order from the lower court is scheduled to take effect on October 22 [2]. - A jury found in December 2023 that Google holds a monopoly in the Android app distribution and payments market [4]. Group 2: Implications of the Ruling - The ruling would prohibit Google from paying developers for exclusive use of its app store, prevent it from stopping developers from informing consumers about direct app downloads, and require it to allow rival app stores access to its catalog [5]. - Google argued that the ruling would significantly harm user safety, limit choice, and undermine innovation within the Android ecosystem [7]. Group 3: Company Response - Google has sought to overturn the ruling but lost an appeal in July [5]. - The company contended that it was unfairly restricted from informing a jury about its competition with Apple's App Store and argued that the case should have been adjudicated by a judge instead of a jury [6].