Tennessee Attorney General announces historic $700 million settlement in Google lawsuit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee's Attorney General has reached a historic settlement in a lawsuit against tech giant Google.

Tuesday, it was announced the lawsuit reached a $700 million settlement. Skrmetti and 52 other attorneys general sued Google in 2021 alleging that the company unlawfully monopolized the markets for Android app distribution and in-app payment processing.

The States claimed Google signed anticompetitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being preloaded on Android devices, bought off key app developers who might have launched rival app stores, and created barriers to deter users from downloading apps to their devices.

“Our office is proud to protect consumers, secure $700 million in financial relief, and be a part of this bipartisan effort to ensure one of the most powerful companies in the world follows the law,” Skrmetti said in a statement.

Google will pay $630 million in restitution, minus costs and fees, to U.S. consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September. Google will pay the states an additional $70 million for sovereign claims. People eligible for restitution do not have to submit a claim – they will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo, or they can elect to receive a check or ACH transfer.

More details about that process will be forthcoming.

Along with the money owed, the settlement also pushes Google to allow the installation of third-party apps on Android phones from outside the Google Play Store for at least seven years and allow developers to offer cheaper prices for their apps for at least five years.

Click herefor a look at the settlement and how it impacts you.

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