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Google has been hit with a new antitrust lawsuit alleging it unlawfully restricts competition by limiting access to rival Android app stores and maintaining tight control over app distribution and billing systems, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. federal court.
The case was brought by Aptoide, a Portugal-based mobile app marketplace focused heavily on gaming, which claims Google's practices prevent smaller competitors from gaining meaningful traction. Aptoide argues that without these barriers, it could exert stronger competitive pressure on pricing, developer terms, and user costs across the Android ecosystem.
In its filing, Aptoide describes Google's conduct as an "anticompetitive chokehold," alleging that key developers are steered toward Google's own services while rival platforms are denied fair access to essential content and distribution channels. The company says this results in significant and lasting harm to alternative app stores attempting to grow their user base.
Google, which operates under its parent company Alphabet, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations.
Aptoide positions itself as a leading independent Android app store, reporting hundreds of thousands of apps and a global user base in the hundreds of millions in recent years. It says its platform offers developers lower commission fees and provides users with more affordable digital content, but claims those advantages are undermined by Google's market control.
The lawsuit seeks court intervention to halt the alleged practices and requests damages, potentially tripled under U.S. antitrust law. This is not Aptoide's first challenge against the tech giant; it previously filed a complaint with European regulators over similar concerns.
The new legal action follows a series of regulatory and courtroom battles involving Google's business practices. In a separate case, the company recently agreed to changes in its app store policies after a dispute involving a major video game developer. Additionally, U.S. authorities have pursued claims related to Google's dominance in online search, resulting in rulings that could reshape aspects of its operations.
