Google granted request to pause order on Play store overhaul

Oct 18 (Reuters) - A federal judge in California has granted Google's request to temporarily pause his order directing the Alphabet (GOOGL.O) unit to overhaul its Android app store Play by Nov. 1 to give consumers more choice over how they download software.

San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge James Donato made the decision on Friday as part of an antitrust lawsuit against Google by "Fortnite" maker Epic Games. Google argued that Donato's Oct. 7 injunction would harm the company and introduce "serious safety, security and privacy risks into the Android ecosystem."

Donato delayed the injunction to allow the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to consider Google's separate request to pause the judge's order. Donato denied Google's separate request to pause the order for the duration of its broader appeal in the case.