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A jury in a federal court has ruled that Google’s Android app store has been shielded by anti-competitive obstacles, causing harm to both smartphone users and software creators. This decision is a setback for a key component of the technology giant’s empire.

After only three hours of discussion, the jury reached a unanimous decision on Monday regarding a four-week trial centered on the profitable payment system used in Google’s Play Store. The store is the primary platform for millions of individuals globally to access and install apps designed for smartphones running on Google’s Android operating system.

Google has announced that it will contest the decision. According to Google, their Android and Google Play platforms offer greater options and transparency compared to other leading mobile platforms. The court case revealed that Google competes strongly with Apple and its App Store, as well as other app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles. Wilson White, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, stated that they will continue to defend their Android business model and remain dedicated to their users, partners, and the overall Android community.

The 2021 trial, which Epic brought against the iPhone app store, was decided by a federal judge and is currently under appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court. In a previous case, the same outcome was reached in favor of the app store, but this time the ruling was made by a different judge.

However, the group of nine jurors in the Play store lawsuit seemingly had a different perspective, despite the fact that Google does technically permit the download of Android apps from various stores – a feature that is not allowed on iPhones by Apple.

Shortly before the Play store trial began, Google tried to prevent a jury from deciding the final result. However, their request was denied by U.S. District Judge James Donato. It is now up to Donato to decide what actions Google must take to reverse its actions in the Play Store. The judge stated that he will hold hearings on this matter in the second week of January.

The CEO of Epic, Tim Sweeney, smiled widely and congratulated his lawyers after the decision was announced. He also shook hands with a Google attorney, expressing gratitude for their professional demeanor during the trial.