Google said it will pay $700 million - $630 million to US consumers and $70 million to a fund used by US states - as part of the Play Store agreement reached in September. This was is reported by Reuters and transmitted by UNN .
Details
In September Google reached a preliminary settlement in a class action lawsuit filed by US states and consumers, filed in 2021. The lawsuit was about Google's monopoly on the distribution of Android applications through the Play Store.
Today. the search giant announced the details of the deal:
Google will pay 630 million to a consumer settlement fund and $70 million to a fund to be used by the states. Under the agreement, eligible consumers will receive at least $2 and may receive additional payments depending on how much they spent on Google Play between August 16 2016 to September 30, 2023.
The agreement has been signed by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
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Context.
Earlier, the company Google was accused of inflating prices for consumers through illegal restrictions on on the distribution of applications on Android devices and unnecessary transaction fees within apps.
Also, in November 2022, Google launched a pilot billing program in the United States in the United States, which allowed developers to use alternative payment methods for in-app purchases.
Today, the company announced that will expand the program in the country as part of the settlement. Google said that developers will be able to show different purchase prices in the app depending on the depending on the payment method chosen by the buyer.
The company also announced that it will simplify the process of side loading; change the system of notification system related to side loading.
Currently users see a pop-up window with a warning text when they try to download the app. This pop-up redirects users to a settings screen to a settings screen where they can install apps from "unknown sources". As part of the settlement, Google will have to merge both of these screens.
The agreement stipulates that the company will have to support this application flow for at least five years without changing it.
Recall
Canadian print media will receive two-thirds of Google's payments to news outlets.