Google is under fire after a US judge ruled that the tech giant deliberately destroyed evidence tied to Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit. The case stems from Fortnite's removal from the Google Play Store in 2020, sparking a legal battle over alleged monopolistic practices.
The Chat Controversy
According to court documents, Google failed to preserve internal employee communications discussing Epic's lawsuit. US District Judge James Donato stated that Google's actions were a "flagrant violation" of its legal obligations.
The judge noted that Google employees routinely used an auto-delete function for sensitive chats, despite the company's duty to preserve evidence once litigation became likely.
Epic's Ongoing Legal Fight
Epic Games, creator of the wildly popular Fortnite, launched this legal challenge after both Google and Apple removed the game from their app stores. The dispute centres around the 30% commission fee charged by both platforms for in-app purchases.
Epic argues this fee constitutes anti-competitive behaviour, while the tech giants maintain it's a fair price for access to their platforms and security features.
What This Means for the Case
Judge Donato has instructed Google to cover some of Epic's legal costs related to uncovering the deleted messages. More significantly, the judge may allow jurors to infer that the destroyed evidence would have been unfavourable to Google.
This development comes as both companies prepare for a November trial in San Francisco, where the court will examine whether Google's app store practices violate antitrust laws.
Broader Implications
The case forms part of growing scrutiny of Big Tech's dominance. Similar lawsuits and regulatory actions are underway globally, challenging the power of major app store operators.
For consumers, the outcome could potentially reshape how mobile apps are distributed and monetised in future.
