As game developer and publisher Epic’s legal battle against Google continues in the antitrust case, the world is gaining some new insights into how Google – who shares the “app store market duopoly” with Apple – operates its Play Store.
This information comes from an update to the lawsuit Epic filed to add the previously redacted parts of its own antitrust case – after a California judge ordered this to also be done in a number of other lawsuits accusing Google of monopolistic Play Store policies.
We obtained a copy of the un-redacted anti-trust complaint for you here (page 43 of 85 is the relevant section.)
What has been revealed is that Google executed a policy aimed specifically at keeping third party app stores, i.e., potential competitors, off the Android platform. Google went deep, seeking to nip any competing app stores in the bud by offering device manufacturers (OEMs) a bigger cut in the lucrative search revenue share if they agreed not to ship with other app stores preinstalled.
The scheme, Premier Device Program, was launched in 2019, and meant that these phones would be sold only with Play Store. OEMs who signed on to the deal saw their search revenue share grow from 8 to 12 percent, while some like LG and Motorola were favored even more, by being given between 3 and 6 percent of the money users spend in Play Store using the phones these companies make.
Epic’s legal representatives say that Premier Device Program was not publicly known and that they only learned about it when Google had to produce documents revealing the practice during the ongoing case.
The shadowy scheme was kept that way by including the provision that it could not be publicly discussed without the other party’s written approval in the agreements.
Epic’s filing breaks down how the largest Android OEM’s reacted to this offer, to say that (the extra incentivized) LG and Motorola as early as May 2020 granted the exclusive status to Play Store on 95 and 98 percent of their devices, respectively. China’s BBK giant, which has a number of Android brands under its umbrella, including OnePlus, committed with about 70 percent.
Less impressed, but still participating significantly, were Sony and Xiaomi with 50 and 40 percent.
Epic believes that this further cemented Google’s app store monopoly on Android devices.
Image by Pasi Mämmelä from Pixabay. Article cross-posted from Reclaim the Net.
Most “Conservative” News Outlets Are on the Big Tech Teat
Not long ago, conservative media was not beholden to anyone. Today, most sites are stuck on the Big Tech gravy train.
I’ll keep this short. The rise of Pandemic Panic Theater, massive voter fraud, and other “taboo” topics have neutered a majority of conservative news sites. You’ll notice they are very careful about what topics they tackle. Sure, they’ll attack Critical Race Theory, Antifa, and the Biden-Harris regime, but you won’t see them going after George Soros, Bill Gates, the World Economic Forum, or the Deep State, among others.
The reason is simple. They are beholden to Big Tech, and Big Tech doesn’t allow certain topics to be discussed or they’ll cut you off. Far too many conservative news outlets rely on Google, Facebook, and Twitter for the bulk of their traffic. They depend on big checks from Google ads to keep the sites running. I don’t necessarily hold it against them. We all do what we need to do to survive. I just wish more would do like we have, which is to cut out Big Tech altogether.
We don’t get Google checks. We don’t have Facebook or Twitter buttons on our stories. We don’t have a YouTube Channel (banned), an Instagram profile (never made one), or a TikTok (no thanks, CCP). We’re not perfect, but we’re doing everything we can to not owe anything to anyone… other than our readers. We owe YOU the truth. We owe YOU the facts that others won’t reveal about topics that others won’t tackle. And we owe America, this great land that allows us to take hold of these opportunities.
Like I said, I don’t hold other conservative sites under too much scrutiny over their choices. It’s easy for people to point fingers when we’re not the ones paying their bills or supporting their families. I just wish there were more who would make the bold move. Today, only a handful of other major conservative news outlets have broken free from the Big Tech teat. Of course, we need help.
The best way you can help us grow and continue to bring proper news and opinions to the people is by donating. We appreciate everything, whether a dollar or $10,000. Anything brings us closer to a point of stability when we can hire writers, editors, and support staff to make the America First message louder. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal or Bitcoin as well. Bitcoin: 3A1ELVhGgrwrypwTJhPwnaTVGmuqyQrMB8
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We are also building partnerships with great conservative sites like The Liberty Daily and The Epoch Times to advance the message as loudly as possible, and we’re always looking for others with which to partner.
Some of our content is spread across multiple sites. Other pieces of content are unique. We write most of what we post but we also draw from those willing to allow us to share their quality articles, videos, and podcasts. We collect the best content from fellow conservative sites that give us permission to republish them. We’re not ego-driven; I’d much rather post a properly attributed story written by experts like Dr. Joseph Mercola or Natural News than rewrite it like so many outlets like to do. We’re not here to take credit. We’re here to spread the truth.
While donations are the best way to help, you can also support us by buying through our sponsors:
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We know we could make a lot more money if we sold out like so many “conservative” publications out there. You won’t find Google ads on our site for a reason. Yes, they’re lucrative, but I don’t like getting paid by minions of Satan (I don’t like Google very much if you couldn’t tell).
Time is short. As the world spirals towards The Great Reset, the need for truthful journalism has never been greater. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report and the other sites in the network going. Our promise is this: We will never sell out America. If that means we’re going to struggle for a while or even indefinitely, so be it. Integrity first. Truth first. America first.
Thank you and God Bless,
JD Rucker
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