All States Announce $700 Million Settlement with Google

Attorneys general from all states and several territories have secured a $700 million agreement with Google over anticompetitive conduct concerning the Google Play Store.

Google must pay $630 million in restitution, minus costs and fees, to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive practices.

The technology giant will also pay the states an additional $70 million in penalties. The agreement also requires Google to adopt better business practices, reducing its unfair marketplace power over other companies and consumers.

The coalition of attorneys general sued Google in 2021 for unlawfully monopolizing the market of Android app distribution and in-app payment processing.

“Texas has led the nation in the fight to hold giant tech companies accountable for monopolistic activity,” said Texas Attorney General Paxton. “I am proud that this settlement brought together so many states who recognized the importance of protecting free markets.”

Specifically, Google signed anticompetitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being preloaded on Android devices, paid key app developers not to launch products on rival app stores, and created technological barriers to deter consumers from directly downloading apps to their devices.

An estimated minimum 70% of eligible consumers, amounting to more than 71 million people, will automatically receive payments stemming from the settlement without having to file a claim, according to a court filing from the states.

The terms of the settlement define an eligible consumer as a person with a legal address in their Google payments profile in one of the U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands when they purchased an app from Google Play or made an in- app purchase through Google Play between August 2016 and September 2023.

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