Google pays $700 million to settle Play Store antitrust lawsuit

Google agreed to pay $700 million and change its app store policies to settle one of several antitrust lawsuits related to its handling of apps on Android devices.

The late Monday settlement relates to a 2021 suit filed by a group of 36 states in federal court in California alleging that Google was diminishing opportunities for competition and app distribution. The settlement had been announced in September, but details were not released until Monday.

"This settlement builds on Android's choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections, and retains Google's ability...