Judge defers order in Google antitrust case requiring to open its app store

A federal judge on Friday delayed an order requiring Google to open up its Android app store to more competition until an appeals court decides whether to block the shake-up because of legal questions surrounding a jury’s verdict that branded Google as an illegal monopolist.

The delay granted during a court hearing in San Francisco comes less than two weeks after US District Judge James Donato issued a decision that would have forced Google to make sweeping changes to its Play Store for Android smartphones starting November 1.