Google To Pay $700-M To U.S. Consumers To Settle Case

Alphabet's Google has agreed to pay $700 million and allow for greater competition in its Play app store, according to the terms of an antitrust settlement with US states and consumers disclosed in a San Francisco federal court, as reported by Mike Scarcella for Reuters.

Google pay. The settlement specifies that eligible consumers will receive at least $2 and may receive additional payments based on their spending on Google Play between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023.

As part of the settlement, Google will pay $630 million into a settlement fund for consumers and $70 million into a fund to be used by states.

The settlement, which still requires a judge's final approval, specifies that eligible consumers will receive at least $2 and may receive additional payments based on their spending on Google Play between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have joined the settlement.

Google was accused of overcharging consumers through unlawful restrictions on the distribution of apps on Android devices and unnecessary fees for in-app transactions. Although it did not admit wrongdoing, a California federal jury last week agreed with Epic Games, the lead plaintiff, that parts of Google's app business were anti-competitive.

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