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Google Agrees to £260 Million Settlement With UK App Developers

If approved the deal would deliver direct payouts to qualifying developers and end the planned tribunal hearing.

Overview

  • The parties published a proposed £260 million settlement on Thursday that allocates £160 million for developers and £100 million to cover legal and funding costs.
  • The payment covers app sales, subscriptions and in‑app purchases on Google Play from August 2018 through July 2026 and will require CAT approval before any funds are distributed.
  • Under the published distribution plan most payouts will be calculated from Play transaction data and developers with up to £7,500 in revenue will receive a fixed £200 unless they ask for a bespoke calculation.
  • Google agreed to pay without admitting liability and said it believes it has strong defences, so the settlement would end the case without a tribunal ruling on whether Google broke competition law.
  • If the Competition Appeal Tribunal approves the deal Google must pay within 50 days and developers who do not opt out will have a four‑month window to claim their share.