Google agrees to pay $700 million in antitrust settlement over Play app store

Google has agreed to pay $700 million and make changes to its Play app store as part of an antitrust settlement with US states and consumers. All 50 US states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have joined the settlement. The settlement, which still requires final approval from a judge, was announced in September by lead plaintiff Utah and other states but was kept confidential until now due to a related trial with Epic Games, the maker of “Fortnite.” Last week, a California jury agreed with Epic Games that Google’s Play app store business had engaged in anticompetitive behavior.

Under the 68-page settlement terms seen by the Verge, Google will, amongst others, contribute $630 million to a settlement fund for consumers and $70 million to a fund for all US states. Eligible consumers will receive a minimum of $2, with additional payments possible based on their spending on Google Play between August 2016 and September 2023. Over the next seven years, Google will maintain technical support for third-party app installations on Android. Additionally, for five years, developers can provide an alternative in-app billing system alongside Google Play, known as “User Choice Billing.”