From Yahoo.com….
Google’s (GOOG, GOOGL) app store, Google Play, became the latest target of Big Tech antitrust regulators Wednesday in a federal lawsuit filed by dozens of attorneys general led by the state of Utah.
The case, brought in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is one of dozens of lawsuits that Google’s parent company Alphabet is facing in a wave of actions around the globe challenging tiers of its dominant markets.
In the complaint, the states accuse Google of illegally operating monopolies in the market for Android app distribution by imposing technical barriers that prevent third parties from distributing apps outside the Play Store. According to the complaint, Google controls 99% of the “licensable” market.
“Android is the only viable operating system available to license by mobile device manufacturers that market and sell their devices to U.S. consumers,” the lawsuit states, noting a distinction Google has from its competitor Apple (AAPL) that is also facing antitrust scrutiny over its App Store.
