Google has allowed for increased competition in its Play app store and agreed to pay out $700m, according to an antitrust trial with US states and consumers released on Monday (18 December).
The search engine giant will pay $630m in a settlement fund for consumers and $70m in a fund for US states, according to court documents. All 50 US states have joined the settlement.
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The court settlement said all eligible customers will receive at least $2. Customers may receive further payments depending on their spending on Google Play between 16 August 2016 and 30 September 2023.
The settlement comes after the tech giant was accused of overcharging consumers through its distribution of apps across Android devices, as well as fees for in-app transactions.
Google vice president for government affairs, Wilson White, said in a statement that the settlement “builds on Android’s choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections and retains Google’s ability to compete with other [operating system] makers, and invest in the Android ecosystem for users and developers.”
The settlement was announced in September but was kept confidential during the events of Google’s separate trial with “Fortnite” maker Epic Games.
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By GlobalDataEpic Games accused Google of imposing a 30% commission on in-app purchases through the Google Play store.
Last week, a jury agreed with Epic’s claims that some of Google’s app business was anticompetitive.
The search engine giant said it was working on allowing app and game developers to provide consumers with an alternative billing options for in-app purchases.
Lawyers representing the US states in the settlement said this “will offer significant, meaningful, long-lasting relief for consumers throughout the country.”
