Federal judge orders Google to open its Android app store to competition

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge has ordered Google to tear down the digital walls shielding its Android app store from competition. The order comes as Google’s punishment for maintaining an illegal monopoly that helped expand the company’s internet empire. The injunction issued by U.S. District Judge James Donato on Monday will require Google to make several changes that the Mountain View, California, company had been resisting. Those include a provision that will require its Play Store for Android apps to distribute rival third-party app stores so consumers can download them to their phones, if they so desire.