Aptoide Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google: The Fight for Android Ecosystem Openness Continues

17.04.2026

Portuguese company Aptoide, which positions itself as the world's third-largest Android app store, has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google in the Federal Court of San Francisco.

Aptoide accuses Google of illegally monopolizing app distribution and in-app payment systems on Android, claiming that the corporation's actions have created an "anticompetitive stranglehold" that prevents alternative app stores from competing on equal footing.

Google most recently lost a similar antitrust case brought by Epic (Case No. 24-6256), in which the court found Google guilty of monopolization and violations of the Sherman Act. As a result of that case and a settlement between the parties, Google committed to, among other things, reducing its commission fees, supporting third-party app stores, and opening up alternative billing systems.

The Substance of the Lawsuit

Aptoide, which offers developers lower commissions and users more affordable prices, alleges that Google restricts access to popular applications and deliberately steers developers toward its own Play Store and associated services.

Accordingly, Aptoide is seeking an injunction against such anticompetitive practices and treble damages.

Specific violations attributed to Google:

• OEM exclusivity agreements: arrangements with device manufacturers that restrict the pre-installation of alternative app stores;
• Exclusive agreements with developers: preventing key applications from being listed in third-party stores;
• Artificial barriers for alternative platforms: creating technical and administrative obstacles for competitors.

It is worth noting that as far back as October 2018, Aptoide prevailed against Google in a Portuguese court, which ordered the corporation to stop removing the Aptoide app from users' devices without their knowledge.

The company was also among the original complainants in the European Commission's antitrust case, which resulted in a record fine of €4.34 billion against Google.

What This Means for Developers and Digital Market Participants

The Aptoide lawsuit demonstrates that the reforms achieved through the Epic Games case are not viewed by other competitors as sufficient. Despite reduced commissions and the formal opening of Android to alternative stores, Google's structural control over the ecosystem continues to create significant barriers.

The precedent of treble damages, which Aptoide is seeking in its lawsuit, makes such claims financially substantial.

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The Arbitration & IT Disputes practice at REVERA has extensive experience in digital markets, antitrust regulation of technology platforms, and protecting the rights of participants in mobile app ecosystems.

We advise developers and payment solution providers on strategy, rights protection, and operations across multiple jurisdictions.

Author: Kamal Tserakhau, Aliaksandr Struzhko and Hleb Shumilau.

 

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