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“Google and Apple face Epic lawsuit after removing Fortnite from App Stores”

Google and Apple are now facing anti-trust lawsuits from the game maker, Epic after the tech giants removed the popular game, Fornite from their respective Google Play and Apple App stores.

Google and Apple both removed Fornite from their app stores after Epic announced a direct payment option for purchasing V-Bucks and other offers with the same 20 percent discount the brand is now promoting for other platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac.

Both Google and Apple have stated they removed Fornite from their app stores due to the brand’s actions violating their policies for hosting apps on these market places. By in part, third-party developers are required to use Google and Apple’s respective in-app billing methods, which enables the hosts to collect a 30 percent fee from the price of apps. Epic added its own payment system, which bypasses this fee, without approval. Apple pulled the app almost immediately Thursday evening, and Google followed suit not long after.

Moves from Epic, Google, and Apple have been a culmination of the companies long not seeing eye-to-eye on certain policies. Epic CEO, Tim Sweeney has spoken out against high in-app purchase fees for third-party developers, in addition to the companies’ resistance against cloud-based apps, which prevents Fortnite from being played in its full capacity on mobile platforms.

Many noted that Epic was likely expecting the tech giants to take some sort of action after it announced its payment system, as the gaming brand released a protest video based on Apple’s iconic “1984” ad. The ad revamp pokes fun of Apple’s stance as a unique, consumer-focused brand, which Epic alludes is something, from which the brand has strayed. Epic also started the #FreeFortnite hashtag and launched a website explaining what is currently taking place.

Epic’s current moves come after it conceded to Google’s rules in April so it could have Fornite on the Google Play Store. Prior to that Fornite was not on the Google Play Store for 18 months and was only accessible through various third-party sources. Now, Android users can still get access to Fornite from those other sources, such as the Fornite website or through the Samsung Galaxy Store or Samsung devices that have the app preinstalled. Since Apple systems ate close source iPhone and iPad only users who already have the game installed will be able to access Fornite.

Fionna Agomuoh

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of TechViewPRO.com. I like smartphones, traveling, and long walks to the gym.

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