A US federal judge orders Google to remove certain warning screens shown when users try to install third-party app stores from the Google Play Store. The ruling finds the warnings function as barriers to competition rather than neutral safety messaging.
The decision, issued by US District Judge James Donato, centers on what the court describes as “anticompetitive friction.” Google had previously introduced prominent warnings to users attempting to install alternative app stores through Play. The order requires Google to make installing a third-party app store as straightforward as installing other Android apps from Play.
Some reports also place the development in the broader context of Google beginning to distribute third-party app stores in the US after a separate court ruling and a settlement involving Epic Games. Across coverage, the core points remain focused on the need to change user-facing installation steps and messaging rather than on banning third-party app stores.
