Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced a $700 million settlement with Google over anticompetitive practices. The agreement, which is supported by his counterparts in other states and territories, requires Google to pay $630 million in restitution, excluding costs and fees, to individuals who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were adversely affected by these practices, according to the state’s top law enforcement officer.
In a press release from the attorney general’s office, it was stated that Google is also ordered to pay an additional $70 million in penalties. Furthermore, the company must adopt improved business practices. This settlement concludes a lawsuit filed against the tech giant in 2021.
The same release detailed accusations of Google unlawfully monopolizing the market of Android app distribution and in-app payment processing. “Specifically, Google signed anticompetitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being preloaded on Android devices, paid key app developers not to launch products on rival app stores, and created technological barriers to deter consumers from directly downloading apps to their devices,” it said.
The terms of the settlement, which was reached in a California federal court, are available for public viewing online.
