Featured Image Credit: AFP / Stringer/Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor
Topics: Money, Technology, Google
Emily Brown
Topics: Money, Technology, Google
Google is set to pay $700 million as part of a lawsuit settlement which includes a payout for Android users, so if you're one of the affected customers, here's how you can claim your cash.
The payout comes after Google reached an agreement in September with all 50 states, following allegations that it had been stifling competition against its app store on Android devices.
Google is set to pay a total of $630 million in restitution, minus costs and fees to consumers as part of the settlement, the details of which were revealed on Tuesday (19 December).
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Customers eligible to receive money from the payout include those who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023, and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive practices.
The tech company is said to have made game developers use its proprietary payment system for apps downloaded from the Play Store, where Google charges a 15 to 30 percent cut on all transactions.
Approximately 102 million consumers in the US have been affected, each of who are expected to receive at least $2 from the settlement.
It might not be as satisfying as a few million, but it's at least enough to put towards a Pumpkin Spice Latte or a Christmas cookie!
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How you will get your money from the payout
So, Google is set to hand out cash to the affected consumers, but how do you get your hands on it?
Well, the good news is, consumers won't need to fill out any forms or chase Google to get their hands on the money!
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Instead, eligible customers are set to be automatically notified about the options available to receive their cut of the money.
Attorney General Mike Hilgers' office in Nebraska offered an example of the options in a press release, saying: "Nebraska consumers who made purchases on the Play Store do not need to submit a claim to receive money.
"Instead, consumers will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo, or they can elect to receive a check or ACH transfer. More details about the refund process will be forthcoming."
As well as offering payments to affected customers, the settlement also demands a number of business reforms from Google.
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These include giving developers the ability to allow users to pay through in-app billing systems other than Google Play Billing for at least five years, as well as allowing developers to offer cheaper prices for their apps and in-app products for consumers who use non-Google billing systems for at least five years.
Google is also restricted from entering contracts that require the Play Store to be the exclusive, pre-loaded app store on a device or home screen for at least five years.
In a statement about the settlement, Google said in part: "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."