Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has not hesitated to rail against Apple and Google, alleging monopolistic practices by the two in their app stores. During addresses at a number of conferences, including the Global Conference for Mobile Application Ecosystem Fairness in Seoul, South Korea, Sweeney explained his concerns over the stifling policies applied by both entities. He asserted that Apple locks consumers into a single store and payment system, and Google imposes fees on transactions it does not process, labeling this “insane.” Sweeney commended South Korea’s legislative actions against monopolistic practices and stated that he was honored to collaborate with the nation in pushing back against those monopolies.
Epic Games has been litigating against Apple and Google over the last couple of years. The disputes began after Epic introduced a rival payment system in its very popular game Fortnite, bypassing the 30% cut of revenue taken by both app stores. That led to the removal of Fortnite from Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store and prompted lawsuits from Epic. While a U.S. court ruled that Apple did not behave anti-competitively on most allegations, it ruled that Apple’s imposition of anti-steering prohibitions was anti-competitive. Similarly, Epic’s lawsuit against Google alleged that the company held monopoly power by virtue of anticompetitive behavior.
Apple was criticized by Sweeney for its strict policies excluding competing software stores on iPhones and accused Google of stifling competition through user interface obstacles. He added that without the 30% fees charged to developers, consumers would see better prices and greater economic competition. Despite some courtroom victories and regulatory actions, such as the European Union’s Digital Markets Act requiring Apple to open up third-party marketplaces on iOS devices, Epic is dissatisfied with the outcomes. Sweeney has accused Apple of “malicious compliance” with these regulations and continues to push for action against Google and Samsung regarding installation barriers for third-party app stores.
Epic Games also operates its own PC games store that charges a lower platform fee compared to Apple and Google. Sweeney believes it is the role of antitrust regulators to stop monopolies from leveraging their power to dominate unrelated markets. He has vowed to continue the battle until Epic achieves what he calls “ultimate victory” over monopolistic practices.
