Google has agreed to pay $700 million to states and American consumers and allow more competition in its Play app store, under the terms of an antitrust lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco.
Google will pay $630 million into a consumer fund and $70 million into one to be used by U.S. states, under the deal, which still requires final approval from a judge.
The agreement means that eligible consumers will receive at least $2 and may receive additional payments based on their spending on Google Play between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023. All 50 US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. the agreement.
Google has been accused of charging consumers excessive prices through illegal restrictions on app distribution on Android devices and unnecessary fees for in-app transactions. The company did not admit any irregularities.
The lead plaintiff in the case, the state of Utah, and other states announced the settlement in September, but the terms were kept confidential ahead of Google’s trial with Epic Games, maker of the “Fortnite” game. Last week, a federal jury in California agreed with Epic that parts of Google’s apps business were anticompetitive.
Wilson White, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, said the deal “builds on Android’s choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections, and preserves Google’s ability to compete with other manufacturers.” operating systems)” and invests in the Android ecosystem. for users and developers.”
The company said it is expanding the ability of app and video game developers to offer consumers an alternative billing option for in-app purchases, alongside Play’s billing system. Google said it has been testing the “billing option” in the US for more than a year.
As part of the deal, Google said it will streamline users’ ability to download apps directly from developers.
Source: Terra
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