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Four years ago, Google faced a lawsuit from the US Department of Justice and 36 US states, accusing the company of misusing its power over how consumers access apps on Android devices.
What did Google do wrong?
Well, according to Forbes, it mostly boiled down to making game developers use its own payment system for apps downloaded from the Play Store, where Google takes a 15 to 30% cut on all transactions.
They claimed the company made it difficult for developers to distribute their apps on other platforms, and discouraged users from using third-party stores.
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The first lawsuit was settled in September 2023, but the details weren't made public at the time.
In December 2023, a jury found Google had violated US antitrust laws as Google shared more about its settlement and announced some future changes.
The original 15 to 30% cut the firm received is being lowered to 11 to 26%. Additionally, Google vowed to show different pricing options in the Play Store so consumers can choose to directly pay the developer instead of through Google Play's billing system.
'This settlement builds on Android's choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections, and retains Google's ability to compete with other OS makers, and invest in the Android ecosystem for users and developers,' Wilson White, Google vice president of Government Affairs and Public Policy, previously said.
'We're pleased to resolve our case with the states and move forward on a settlement.'
Developers can now show different prices for their products within the app without needing permission from Google.
Furthermore, the Alphabet-owned company is paying out a massive $630 million 'to be distributed for the benefit of consumers according to a Court-approved plan', as well as an additional $70 million to a fund for use by the states.
To be eligible for a payout - minimum $2 - you must have made a purchase on the Play Store between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023, according to the court settlement.
And here's the good news: you don’t need to do much to get your money.
In fact, eligible customers will be automatically notified about how they can receive their share.
Despite all this, the tech giant isn't in the clear yet.
Details on Google’s other settlement with Epic Games are still under wraps so we could see additional changes made to the Play Store.
