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Millions of people may soon be eligible for automatic payments from a sweeping $700 million settlement with Google — and most won’t need to file a claim to get their share.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced Wednesday that he and a coalition of 52 other attorneys general secured a $700 million settlement with Google, a deal that would direct most of the money to consumers who made purchases through the Google Play Store and were harmed by the company’s alleged anticompetitive practices.
“This case was never just about app purchases – it was about what happens when a company quietly controls the choices and prices that millions of people rely on every day,” said Rayfield. “That kind of power affects households in [a] real way. This settlement begins to unwind that. This work is about giving families and small businesses a voice, and making sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Google referred Fox News Digital to a 2023 statement from Wilson White, the vice president of government affairs and public policy, when the settlement was announced.
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“Android and Google Play have continuously evolved to provide more flexibility and choice in response to feedback from developers and regulators, as well as intense competition from Apple and app stores across the open Android ecosystem,” the statement read in part. “We demonstrated this in the recent trial and were disappointed that the verdict did not recognize the choice and competition that our platforms enable. While we are challenging that verdict and our case with Epic is far from over, we remain committed to continually improving Android and Google Play.”
Under the proposed agreement, most consumers who made purchases through the Google Play Store between Aug. 16, 2016, and Sept. 30, 2023, won’t need to file a claim to receive their share of the payout.
Instead, once the settlement has been approved by the court next spring, payments will be issued automatically through PayPal or Venmo using the email or phone number tied to each user’s Google Play account.
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The Oregon Department of Justice said a supplemental claims process will also be available for consumers who don’t have a PayPal or Venmo account, no longer have access to the email or phone number tied to their Google Play account, or were expecting a payment but never received one.
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The state attorneys general said on the settlement website that Google’s tight control over how apps are distributed and how users pay for them on many Android devices drove up the cost of apps and in-app purchases.
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They also said Google misled the public about the risks of downloading apps from outside the Play Store and about the company’s billing policies for apps. Google denies any wrongdoing.
Notifications about the settlement payments began going out to consumers on Dec. 2.
