$700M Google Settlement Ends Attorneys General Lawsuit Over Alleged Monopoly of Android App Distribution

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A $700 million Google settlement resolves a sprawling antitrust lawsuit that alleged the tech giant monopolized both app distribution on Android devices and in-app billing services, causing users nationwide to overpay for apps and in-app purchases while reducing consumers’ choice in apps.

Get class action lawsuit and class action settlement news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter.

The Google Play Store parens patriae action was filed by the attorneys general of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The Google Play Billing settlement was granted preliminary approval by the court to start the settlement notice process on November 20, 2025.

The $700 million Google settlement covers anyone residing in any state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands who paid for an app through the Google Play Store, or paid for in-app content through Google Play Billing, between August 16, 2016 and September 20, 2023.

Parens patriae is a legal term of art that translates to “parent of the nation”; it refers to a cause of action brought by state attorneys general on behalf of those living in their jurisdictions at the time the alleged conduct occurred.

Actions brought in parens patriae differ from class action lawsuits; unlike a class action suit, in which a plaintiff represents multiple people or groups, a parens patriae action has only the state as the plaintiff.

The court-approved website for the Google settlement can be found at GooglePlayStateAGAntitrustLitigation.com.

Each consumer who made a qualifying purchase, such as paying to download a game, and at the time of the purchase had a legal address listed in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands, will be eligible for at least $2 in reimbursement for purchases made through the Google Play Store or Google Play Billing, the settlement website says. Per the site, the settlement administrator will make final reimbursement determinations based on the amount a consumer spent on qualifying purchases.

The settlement website notes that payments will be made automatically and that no claim form is required to receive a cash payment from the Google settlement fund.

Related Reading: $30 Million Google Settlement Ends Lawsuit Over Alleged YouTube Collection of Children’s Data

Per settlement documents, upon final approval of the settlement, eligible consumers who are to receive cash payments will receive an email or text verification from PayPal or Venmo notifying them of the upcoming payment.  If a consumer has an email address or phone number linked to a PayPal or Venmo account, the funds will automatically be deposited into that account, settlement documents state.

If a consumer’s email address or phone number isn’t associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, consumers can either create a new account or opt to redirect that cash payment to another account.

In the event a consumer does not have a PayPal or Venmo account, does not want to sign up, no longer has access to the email and phone tied to their Google Play account, or was expecting to receive a payment but did not, there will be a supplemental claims process after all automatic payments are made, settlement documents note.

To receive notice when the supplemental claims process begins, consumers can visit this page of the settlement website,  sign in with their unique ID and PIN found on their copy of the settlement notice, and submit their contact information to the settlement administrator.

A final approval hearing for the Google Play antitrust settlement is scheduled for April 30, 2026. Compensation will begin to be distributed to eligible consumers only after final approval is granted and any appeals are resolved.

The Google Play attorneys general antitrust lawsuit, which was not a class action suit, alleged that Google effectively created and maintained a monopoly on app distribution for Android devices. The complaint alleged Google controlled 99 percent of the licensable mobile operating system market, in violation of the Sherman Act, namely through exclusionary agreements with app developers and the direction of all purchases through Google Play Billing.

The attorneys general action also charged that Google misrepresented to the public the risks of acquiring apps from sources other than the Google Play Store.

Google’s conduct caused consumers to pay too much for apps and purchases made in apps downloaded from the Google Play Store, and reduced consumers’ choices for apps, the states alleged.

Looking for current class action lawsuits to join? Check out ClassAction.org’s class action lawsuit list.