More than 40% of all U.S. smartphones are Android devices, according to data company Statcounter. Most Android users rely on the Google Play Store to download other Android apps.
Online posts claim Google has settled a class action lawsuit with state attorneys general accusing Google of monopolizing Android app markets through its Google Play Store. That means people who downloaded apps through the Google Play Store could be entitled to payments.
THE QUESTION
Is the Google Play Store settlement real?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, the Google Play Store settlement is real.
WHAT WE FOUND
Google has agreed to pay a total of $700 million, with $630 million going to a settlement fund for consumers and $70 million to a fund to be used by the states, the company says.
The settlement is for a lawsuit filed by 53 state attorneys general alleging Google harmed consumers by monopolizing the Android app distribution market, court documents and the New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General say.
“Specifically, the States claimed that Google signed anti-competitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being preloaded on Android devices, bought off key app developers who might have launched rival app stores, and created technological barriers to deter consumers from directly downloading apps to their devices,” the New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General says.
The $630 million, minus costs and fees, will go to consumers who purchased an app through the Google Play Store or made an in-app purchase, including subscriptions, through Google Play Billing between August 2016 and September 2023, the Michigan Department of Attorney General and court documents say.
Eligible consumers will not have to submit a claim, the California Office of the Attorney General says. Instead, consumers will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo or choose to receive a check by mail or ACH transfer.
More details about the claims process is forthcoming, the states’ attorney general offices say.
The settlement also requires Google to change certain policies and practices regarding Android and the Google Play Store. Google is improving the performance of third-party app stores and allowing apps to implement billing methods other than Google Play’s billing system, among other changes, Google says.
As part of the settlement, Google does not admit wrongdoing, fault, liability or damage of any kind, court documents say.
This settlement is unrelated to a similar suit against Google brought by Epic Games. A jury sided against Google in that case earlier this month. There is no payout to consumers in that case, although Epic Games said it will seek “meaningful remedies to truly open up the Android ecosystem.”
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