On Thursday, July 31, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 2023 finding that Google’s Play Store and its mandatory payment system operate as a monopoly. Last fall, Judge James Donato ordered Google to open its app store to competitors and allow Android users more download choices. That injunction had been stayed pending Google’s appeal, until today’s decision.

The following statement can be attributed to Sumit Sharma, Executive Director for NextGen Competition (nextgencomp.tech):

“Today’s ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is another nail in the coffin for Google and Apple’s exploitative app store ecosystem. Alternative app stores and app catalogue interoperability will enable consumers and developers to benefit from more competition, lower fees, and permissionless innovation.

This decision also starts breaking down the chokehold that Apple and Google hold over our information ecosystem. More competition will make it easier for publishers to reach consumers directly without Google setting publishing standards and taking a cut of publisher revenues.”

About NextGen Competition
NextGen Competition is on a mission to create a fair and competitive technology ecosystem that empowers consumers, workers, and small businesses by supporting robust enforcement of antitrust laws and policies. Our aim is to enable many independent technology companies to innovate, compete, and offer differentiated services, and to rectify the profound imbalance of power that allows the largest technology firms to unilaterally set terms and conditions for everyone, use our data, and capture our attention without meaningful constraints.