Google agrees to pay $700 mn in Play Store dispute settlement

Google has agreed to pay $700 million to the US consumers and states in a settlement over Play Store reached in September. The company will pay $630 million to consumers and $70 to a fund used by states. “Google will pay $630 million into a settlement fund to be distributed for the benefit of consumers according to a Court-approved plan and $70 million into a fund that will be used by the states,” the tech giant said in a blogpost on Monday. In September, a class action lawsuit was filed against Google by US states and consumers. The lawsuit alleged that Google has a monopoly over app distribution on Android through its Play Store. “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. We’re pleased to resolve our case with the states and move forward on a settlement,” Google said. This comes after Fortnite maker Epic Games won its antitrust battle with Google in a landmark case that went on for three years. The unanimous verdict by a US jury wraps up the legal battle between the tech companies. The jury found that Google turned its Play Store and Google Play Billing service into an illegal monopoly, reports The Verge. Epic filed its lawsuit against Google in 2020, alleging that Google Play Store practices violated US antitrust laws.