Washington Android users could receive payout in Google Play Store anti-trust suit

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Android users in Washington could be eligible for payouts due to a lawsuit that accused Google of pushing out the competition for its app store.

On Monday, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson joined several other state officials in announcing the $700 million settlement with the tech giant.

Filed in July 2021, the initial lawsuit claimed Google — which owns Android — used “anticompetitive practices” to force Android customers and app developers to use its Play Store over other platforms that allow consumers to download and purchase apps.

Ferguson’s office alleged the company urged app developers to increase prices for Play Store users, which in turn helped developers cover the cost of Google’s “exorbitant fees.” Officials also accused Google of banning non-Play-Store-apps from advertising on its various platforms.

According to the attorney general, over 90% of Android apps are downloaded from the Play Store — and the company’s practices have only furthered the platform’s success.

In Washington, about 2.9 million residents use Android phones. The new settlement would allocate at least $2 for people who used the Play Store statewide. Additional restitution could be available, depending on how much money users spent on the app store between August 2016 and September 2023.

“When companies illegally act like monopolies, everyone loses out on the benefits of healthy competition,” Ferguson said. “People face higher prices and fewer choices. Smaller businesses are forced out of the market — or have no way into it in the first place. This resolution stops Google from rigging the system and creates a more level playing field. We will continue to fight for a competitive marketplace that increases consumer choice, improves affordability and provides a level playing field for business.”

According to the Associated Press, U.S. District Judge James Donato still must approve the settlement. But in a blog post shared on Monday, Google Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White said the company planned on resolving the case.

He also said the recent trial didn’t reflect the “choice and competition” offered on Google platforms.

“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,” White added in part.