TL;DR
- Google settled a lawsuit over monopolizing Android app distribution for $700 million in 2023.
- Payouts should start this spring, with affected users eligible for at least $2 via Venmo or PayPal.
- Payouts will mostly be automatic, but users who can’t receive automatic payments have other options.
A couple of years ago, Google settled a lawsuit brought by US states that accused the company of holding an illegal monopoly on Android app distribution, using its position to overcharge users for apps and in-app purchases. Despite Google denying wrongdoing, that settlement is set to pay out $700 million this spring. If you’re owed a cut, you probably don’t have to do much to get it.
As reported today by ZDNET, settlement payments are on track to be distributed soon after a fairness hearing scheduled for April 30 of next year. Owners of Google accounts in all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands who made purchases on the Play Store between 2016 and 2023 are included in the settlement. Payments should be distributed automatically.
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According to the settlement’s official website, anyone getting part of the payout will be informed at either the phone number or email address associated with the Google account they made the Play Store purchases with. Payouts will be at least $2 per person, and potentially more depending on how much you spent on the Play Store between 2016 and 2023. In case you no longer have have access to the Google account you were using at the time, the settlement site says, there’ll be a “supplemental claims process” after the automatic payments are sent out.
If you’re not sure whether you’re included in the settlement, you can call 1-866-905-8127 or email [email protected] for more information.
Most people won’t have to do anything to get their two bucks from the settlement. If there’s a PayPal or Venmo account associated with the info on your Google account, your payment should be deposited there automatically. If there isn’t, the settlement site says, you’ll have the option to route your payout to a different PayPal or Venmo account, or to create a new one — although that effort might be more trouble than your payout is worth.
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