Headline Roundup • December 19th, 2023
Google Agrees to Pay $700 Million to Settle Antitrust Lawsuit
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Google agreed to pay $700 million and overhaul its Google Play Store to settle an antitrust lawsuit.
For Context: The lawsuit was first brought by the attorneys general of 36 states and the District of Columbia in 2021. All other states, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, joined the case soon after. The lawsuit alleged that Google engaged in anticompetitive practices by closing off Android devices to competing app developers, giving app developers little option but to pay Google’s fees.
Details: Of the $700 million settlement, $630 million will be distributed to an estimated 102 million customers nationwide, and the remaining $70 million will be used by the states to settle related claims. Google also agreed to simplify the process of downloading apps on Android devices directly from developers, bypassing the Google Play Store.
Key Quotes: Reuters (Center bias) quoted North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) stating that “the changes Google is required to adopt will result in more innovation among app developers and lower prices for consumers, and that was always our number one goal.” A blog post from Google Vice President Wilson White stated, “This settlement builds on Android's choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections, and retains Google’s ability to compete with other OS makers, and invest in the Android ecosystem for users and developers.”
How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum noted Google's recent loss in a similar case brought forth by Epic Games.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Melina Mara/The Washington Post
Tens of millions of U.S. consumers will get a payout as Google shells out $700 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit brought by state prosecutors over the high fees it charges app developers.
Google will pay $630 million into a fund that will be divided among an estimated 102 million eligible consumers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the settlement terms for Utah et al v. Google that were revealed late Monday. Google will pay an additional $70 million...
REUTERS/Paresh Dave/File Photo
Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google will pay $700 million and revamp its Play app store to allow for greater competition as part of an antitrust settlement with U.S. states and consumers, according to the company and filings in San Francisco federal court on Monday.
Google will pay $630 million into a settlement fund for consumers and $70 million into a fund that will be used by states, according to the settlement, which still requires a judge's final approval.
The settlement said eligible consumers will receive at least $2 and may get additional...
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...
