SAN RAMON, Calif. — More than 35 states and the District of Columbia are taking aim at Google's app store practices with a new lawsuit Wednesday.
Google's Play store is where consumers download most of the apps designed for the Android platform.
The complaint alleges Google holds a monopoly on Android app distribution in the U.S. and has used restrictive contracts to force device makers to promote the Google Play store.
"Google is using its dominant position in the marketplace to stifle competition and extract billions of dollars in commissions on in-app purchases from unsuspecting consumers—and this anticompetitive behavior must stop," District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine said in a statement.
This is the fourth antitrust action filed against Google by government agencies in this country since October.
The states participating in this latest suit include New York, California, Colorado, Utah, Massachusetts, among others.
