Tens of millions of Google Play Store users could be eligible for a share of $700 million in restitution as part of an antitrust settlement.
Who is eligible?
According to court documents filed in federal court in San Francisco, California, Google will have to pay $700 million as part of the resolution of an antitrust lawsuit filed in several states across the nation. In 2020, several US states filed separate lawsuits accusing the tech giant of abusing its “dominant position” in online search, harming competition through deals with smartphone makers and wireless carriers. According to the complaint, this resulted in overcharging customers and charging high fees to app developers. Ultimately, the complaints were consolidated into a single case.
How to request part of Google’s multimillion-dollar compensation?
“After initially seeking $10.5 billion in damages for antitrust practices identified as fees unfairly charged by Google, state attorneys general agreed to a payment of $700 million,” said Corie Wright, vice president of public policy at Epic Games, of the settlement. Last week, a jury unanimously ruled in favor of Epic in its antitrust lawsuit against Google. Wright noted that the states’ agreement does not address the core of Google’s illegal and anti-competitive behavior. According to a statement from Google, of the $700 million agreed upon in compensation, $70 million will go to a fund to be used by the plaintiff states, while the remaining $630 million will be distributed to affected consumers through a settlement fund. In addition, the company agreed to encourage competition in its Play Store application store. The agreement still requires final approval from a judge.
Who qualifies and how to apply?
Any Google user who used or made purchases through the Play Store between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023 is eligible for a one-time payment of $2, plus additional payments proportional to the expenses incurred in the aforementioned mobile download application. According to CNN, approximately 102 million users are eligible for the payment, of which 71.4 million will not have to submit any application, as the company will automatically deposit the $2 dollars to all eligible users, according to its database.