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Following a huge lawsuit, Google has been forced to fork out millions of dollars.
And millions of people could be eligible to receive payment - It all comes down to a few factors.
Wondering how Google ended up in this position in the first place?
Well, four years ago the tech giant faced a lawsuit from the US Department of Justice and 36 US states, which caused the company of abusing its power regarding consumer access to apps on Android mobile devices.
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Then a year later in 2021, Epic Games and other developers launched a suit against Google as well.
This was all down to Google reportedly making game developers use its proprietary payment system for apps downloaded from the Play Store - where Google charges a 15 to 30 percent cut on all transactions, according to Forbes.
The 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.
And you could be eligible.
How to check if you're eligible? - Consumers who made a purchase on the Play Store between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023 will receive a minimum of $2, according to the court settlement.
How to claim your money? - Well, you just need to sit back and relax. Eligible customers will be automatically notified about how they can receive their share.
The first lawsuit was settled in September 2023, but the details weren't made public at the time.
However, come to 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%. Alongside this, 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.'
Now, developers can show different prices for their products within the app without needing permission from Google.
Despite all this, the company still has ongoing disputes, as Google’s other settlement with Epic Games is still under wraps.
