Google stated as we speak it can pay $700 million — $630 million to U.S. shoppers and $70 to a fund utilized by U.S. states — in a settlement over Play Retailer reached in September.
In September, the corporate reached a tentative settlement in a category motion lawsuit filed by U.S. states and shoppers initially filed in 2021. Nevertheless, the search large made the small print of the settlement public as we speak. The criticism highlighted Google’s monopoly over app distribution on Android by way of the Play Retailer.
In November 2022, Google began a pilot of its person selection billing program within the U.S., which allowed builders to make use of various fee strategies for in-app purchases. Right this moment, the corporate stated it can increase this system within the nation as a part of the settlement. Google stated that builders will have the ability to present completely different prices of a purchase order within the app primarily based on the billing technique chosen by the shopper.
The corporate additionally stated that it might make the sideloading course of streamlined with out giving any additional particulars in regards to the new course of. Nevertheless, it emphasised that the corporate will alter messaging round sideloading.
“Whereas we preserve it’s important to our security efforts to tell customers that sideloading on cellular may include distinctive dangers, as a part of our settlement we might be additional simplifying the sideloading course of and updating the language that informs customers about these potential dangers of downloading apps straight from the net for the primary time,” stated Wilson White, VP, Authorities Affairs & Public Coverage at Google.
Google identified in its weblog put up that Android 14, additionally made the app improve course of simpler with extra controls for third-party app shops through an API.
This growth on the time Google misplaced its antitrust battle with Epic. Google plans to attraction the decision and reiterated in as we speak’s weblog put up that it “didn’t acknowledge the selection and competitors that our platforms allow” however the case is “removed from over.”
The trial unearthed Google’s offers with firms like Spotify, which paid no fee on Play Retailer for in-app purchases.
