Google to pay $700 million in Play Store settlement
Google has agreed to fork out $700 million in a settlement with multiple U.S. states which sued the tech giant for anticompetitive rules within its Play Store.
The lawsuit, filed in July and settled in September, saw 36 states and districts including New York, California, Utah, Tennessee, and more take Google to court for "anticompetitive tactics to diminish and disincentivize competition in Android app distribution," particularly targeting Google's restriction on developers using competing app stores beyond its Play Store and highlighting the company's 30 percent commission fee on app purchases (deemed "extravagant" in the complaint).
The news comes a week after Fortnitecreator Epic Games won its own separate case against Google for anticompetitive limitations in the Play Store.
SEE ALSO:Google loses lawsuit to ‘Fortnite’ developer Epic GamesThough Google said in its statement the company was "pleased to resolve our case with the states and move forward on a settlement," it also said it was "disappointed that the verdict did not recognize the choice and competition that our platforms enable."
"While we are challenging that verdict and our case with Epic is far from over, we remain committed to continually improving Android and Google Play," Google's statement added.
What does the Google settlement mean?
The settlement means "Google will give developers that choose to sell in-app digital goods and services the option to add an alternative in-app billing system alongside Google Play’s billing system for their users. At checkout, users will be able to choose which in-app billing system to use." Google has been piloting this User Choice Billing in the U.S. for a year, but it will now expand more broadly.
If you want to check out the 61-page settlement document, there's plenty more in the ruling here, including removing the mandatory inclusion of the Play Store on developers' home pages for five years, and letting developers tell customers about lower prices on their own websites or rival app stores.
Of course, the settlement also means a major payout.
"Google will pay $630 million into a settlement fund to be distributed for the benefit of consumers according to a Court-approved plan," reads a statement published Monday. In addition, $70 million will be paid "into a fund that will be used by the states."
Am I eligible for a Google refund?
In case you're wondering if you're eligible, Google will provide the settlement administrator with the names and email addresses for consumers who may be covered "for the purposes of providing notice, processing requests for exclusion, and administering payment."
Related Stories
- Google loses lawsuit to ‘Fortnite’ developer Epic Games
- Apple settlement: How to know if you are eligible for part of the $25M payout
- 5 tech trends we want to see in 2024
- Our favorite tech gifts: Treat yourself to a new toy with that tax return money
- New Google policy addresses fears of law enforcement using location data to prosecute individuals
So, you might hear from the settlement administrator, depending on whether you're deemed eligible. According to CNN, citing the settlement, "Each eligible consumer will receive at least $2 and will receive additional payments in proportion to their Google Play spending during the period between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023."
What about Google's commission fee?
Notably, the lawsuit doesn't really impact Google's 30 percent commission fee that much — The Verge confirmed with a Google spokesperson that those using their own payment system through the expanded User Choice Billing get a discount of just 4 percent off this commission fee. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney posted on Twitter/X about the settlement, highlighting the reality of User Choice Billing, calling it "an unfortunate outcome."
"The settlement endorses Google's 30% monopoly rent imposition, by replacing the anticompetitive Google Play Billing tie with a new anticompetitive Google-imposed 'user choice billing' tie which adds a useless 26% Google Tax for payments they don’t process," wrote Sweeney.
Tweet may have been deleted
Again, it ain't over.
(责任编辑:资讯)
- DNC 2024 speech: Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have a superpower no other Democrat has.
- Apple's super expensive, super large AirPods Max were instantly mocked
- 2024年疏附县农业科技人员新质生产力培训班开班
- Twitter adds @SecondGentleman to official White House accounts
- 科创筑梦树立远大志向 蓄势赋能培养科技人才
- Who is the Dark Wizard in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2?
- Canada Soccer botched handling of harassment case
- Twitter adds @SecondGentleman to official White House accounts
- 广东7人上榜!2024第一季度“中国好人榜”公布
- Families of S. Korean detainees in NK appeal to embassies for support
- China champions South Korean leader sending envoy to North Korea
- Joe Kennedy III would be a downgrade from Ed Markey.
- Pale Blue smart USB
-
Military prosecutors indict intel official over leaking 'black agent' info
(Getty Images Bank)The defense ministry's prosecutors' office on Tuesday indicted a milita ...[详细] -
Concentrated solar viable for industrial uses after exceeding 1,000 °C
As their name suggests, concentrated solar power (CSP) systems concentrate light from the sun onto a ...[详细] -
Dr. Fauci has some simple, lucid Super Bowl advice
The coronavirus — a devious parasite — doesn't have to be the winner of the Super Bowl. ...[详细] -
在我们逛街购物时,商家有时会搞抽奖活动以促进销售,一般来讲都是建立在消费了商品后进行的抽奖。但是有些不法分子却用免费抽奖进行“套路”和“诈骗”。打出“免费抽奖,中奖百分百”的噱头。而这样的“抽奖骗局” ...[详细]
-
24 of the Oldest Trees in the World
These trees have remained firmly rooted for centuries, in some cases millennia. The oldest among the ...[详细] -
Major U.S. phone companies agree to plan to combat endless robocalls.
Popular in News & Politics The Judicial Arsonists Went Too Far for t ...[详细] -
广东7人上榜!2024第一季度“中国好人榜”公布_南方+_南方plus4月18日,由中央精神文明建设办公室主办2024年第一季度“中国好人榜”发布仪式暨全国道德模范与身边好人现场交流活动在江西省九江市 ...[详细]
-
Guy drops iPhone out of plane, iPhone survives, takes video of entire ordeal
Taking photos or videos with your phone out of the window of an airplane is not a great idea; the wi ...[详细] -
In 2007, Flickr was the most popular dedicated photo-sharing site on the web, and growing exponentia ...[详细]
-
Piper Perabo, Jim Mattis, Arizona Supreme Court, gifted and talented.
Popular in News & Politics The Judicial Arsonists Went Too Far for t ...[详细]
- 10 Big Misconceptions About Computer Hardware
- Major U.S. phone companies agree to plan to combat endless robocalls.
- You have to be extremely online to understand the threat America faces now
- 我市举办首届雅安青年书法十家提名展
- First officially approved Gen IV nuclear reactor in the US breaks ground
- 'That's Not My Name' goes viral on TikTok
- Printable, flexible battery offers 10 times the density of lithium