Google Agrees to $700 Million Antitrust Settlement

Eligible Android users to receive at least $2, with changes to Google's app store practices also part of the agreement.

Google has agreed to pay $700 million as part of an antitrust settlement with U.S. states and consumers, with $630 million going into a consumer settlement fund and $70 million into a fund for states.
The settlement comes after allegations that Google ran its Android app store as an anticompetitive monopoly, using tactics such as taking a 15% to 30% commission on app purchases.
Eligible Android users who purchased an app on Google Play or used its billing service from Aug. 16, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2023, will receive at least $2, with additional payments in proportion to their spending.
As part of the settlement, Google will make changes to its app store, including allowing developers to offer alternative billing for in-app purchases for five years.
Despite the settlement, Google still faces a fight over its app store policies, with a recent verdict in a San Francisco court ruling that the app store and Google’s billing service constituted an illegal monopoly.