Google Agrees to Pay $700 Million to Settle Antitrust Lawsuit

Google agreed to pay $700 million and overhaul its Google Play Store to settle an antitrust lawsuit.

For Context: The lawsuit was first brought by the attorneys general of 36 states and the District of Columbia in 2021. All other states, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, joined the case soon after. The lawsuit alleged that Google engaged in anticompetitive practices by closing off Android devices to competing app developers, giving app developers little option but to pay Google’s fees.

Details: Of the $700 million settlement, $630 million will be distributed to an estimated 102 million customers nationwide, and the remaining $70 million will be used by the states to settle related claims. Google also agreed to simplify the process of downloading apps on Android devices directly from developers, bypassing the Google Play Store.

Key Quotes: Reuters (Center bias) quoted North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) stating that “the changes Google is required to adopt will result in more innovation among app developers and lower prices for consumers, and that was always our number one goal.” A blog post from Google Vice President Wilson White stated, “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.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum noted Google's recent loss in a similar case brought forth by Epic Games.