Jefferson City, MO. – It was announced on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, that attorney generals from all 50 states and three territories in the US secured a $700 million settlement agreement with Google over issues with the Google Play Store and Anticompetitive Conduct.
According to a press release from the Missouri attorney general, 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. In addition, the technology giant will pay the states $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. 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.
The settlement can be viewed here: https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/522-2-Blizzard-Ex.-A-Settlement-and-Release.pdf
