Google Antitrust Accord Over Its App Store Meets Skeptical Judge

Google’s proposed settlement with Epic Games Inc. in a long-running antitrust dispute over how the tech giant operates its mobile app store drew deep skepticism from a federal judge, who repeatedly questioned if it was a “sweetheart deal” for the two companies at the expense of the broader market.

US District Judge James Donato, who has been overseeing the antitrust case, said during a hearing Thursday that he was “taken aback” by parts of the deal between Epic and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. Terms haven’t been disclosed, but testimony in court indicated they include a software license, service agreement, ...