Pennsylvania Attorney General secures $20 million settlement for Android users in Google lawsuit
HARRISBURG (KDKA) - Pennsylvania's Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the securing of a $20 million settlement for Pennsylvania residents in relation to a lawsuit against Google.
Pennsylvanians will get an estimated $20.58 million in the settlement. The lawsuit, which AG Henry joined along with 52 other attorneys general, focused on the anti-competitive practices of the Google Play Store.
The lawsuit alleged that Google via its Play Store unlawfully monopolized the market for apps, app downloads, app distribution, and payment on Android devices. Their efforts allegedly prevented other apps from being loaded on Android phones and created barriers for people to download apps from anywhere but the Play Store.
"Google used unlawful practices to quash competitors and prime positioned its app store and payment processing for consumers, many of whom were not even aware of other options," Attorney General Henry said. "This settlement holds this mega company accountable for practices that inflated prices and stifled competition to the detriment of consumers."
Consumers who are eligible for a settlement payment will not have to submit claims, they'll get a payment through PayPal or Venmo, or they can sign up to get a check or ACH transfer.
The settlement also required Google to reform business practices when it comes to the Play Store. That includes allowing developers to offer cheaper prices for their apps and in-app products, refraining from entering contracts that require the Play Store to be the exclusive provider and submitting compliance reports to an independent monitor to ensure that Google is not continuing anti-competitive practices.
You can see more on the Pennsylvania Attorney General's website at this link.
