Here’s How To Collect Your Share of Google’s $700 Million Play Store Settlement
Written by
Yaël Bizouati-Kennedy
Edited by
Daria Uhlig
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Google has agreed to a $700 million settlement following a lawsuit filed by state attorneys general regarding the company’s monopoly tactics with the Google Play Store.
“Google illegally restricted developers and consumers from freely doing business with each other, which harmed everyone who buys and sells apps and in-app products,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a Dec. 19 press release.
“Consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive practices will be eligible for restitution,” according to the release.
Approximately 102 million consumers were affected, 71.4 million of whom will not need to file a claim in order to benefit from the agreement. Each eligible consumer is entitled to receive at least $2 and may receive additional payments in proportion to their Google Play spending from Aug. 16, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2023.
These eligible consumers will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo or may elect to receive a check or ACH transfer, according to the release.
“No company, no matter how large or powerful, is allowed to corner a market and use its influence to overcharge consumers and smother competition,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a Dec. 19 press release. “For too long, Google abused its market share to unfairly raise prices and block developers from selling products in other app stores.”
Wilson White, Google vice president of government affairs and public policy, said in a blog post that Google will pay $630 million into a settlement fund to be distributed for the benefit of consumers and $70 million into a fund that will be used by the states.
As part of the settlement, Google is restricted from entering into contracts or enforce provisions that require the Play Store to be the exclusive, pre-loaded app store on a device or home screen for at least five years. Furthermore, it must allow the installation of third-party apps on Android phones from outside the Google Play Store for at least seven years.
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