LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Google is getting ready to pay states $700 million as part of a settlement related to anticompetitive conduct with the Google Play Store.
According to the state attorney general's office, Google will pay restitution, minus costs and fees, to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023. That's for customers "that were harmed by Google's anticompetitive conduct".
"Competition in the marketplace is at the heart of how our economy functions and provides the best products and services for consumers," Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said. "This settlement shows that large corporations like Google will not be allowed to monopolize the market and, furthermore, will be held accountable by my colleagues and I across the country for their anticompetitive practices."
Back in 2021, Ford and a group of 52 of attorneys general sued Google stating they "unlawfully monopolized the market Android app distribution and in-app payment processing." They claimed Google signed anticompetitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being pre-loaded on Android devices, bought off key app developers who might have launched rival app stores, and created technological barriers to keep consumers from directly downloading apps to their devices.
According to a press release, affected customers don't have to submit a claim and will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo or they can elect to receive a check or ACH transfer. More details will be announced in the future.
As part of the lawsuit, Google must also agree to change several business practices, including:
- Give developers the ability to allow users to pay through in-app billing systems other than Google Play Billing for at least five years
- Allow developers to offer cheaper prices for their apps and in-app products for customers who use non-Google billing systems for at least five years
- Not enter contracts that require the Play Store to be the exclusive pre-loaded app store for at least five years
- Allow installation of third-party apps on Android phones from outside the Google Play Store for at least seven years
- Revise and reduce warnings that appear on Android devices if a user attempts to download a third-party app from outside the Google Play Store for at least five years
- Submit compliance reports to an independent monitor who will ensure that Google is not continuing its anticompetitive conduct for at least five years
