Google will pay $630 million to its users.. Who is eligible and how to apply?

Tens of millions of Google Play Store users may be eligible for a share of $700 million in compensation as part of an antitrust settlement.

Who is eligible?

According to court documents filed in federal court in San Francisco, California, Google will have to pay $700 million as part of the resolution of an antitrust lawsuit filed in several states across the country.

In 2020, several US states filed separate lawsuits accusing the tech giant of abusing its “dominant position” in online search, harming competition through deals with smartphone makers and wireless carriers.

According to the complaint, this resulted in customers being overcharged. They have also been accused of charging high fees to app developers. Ultimately, the complaints were combined into one case.

How do you request a portion of Google’s multi-million dollar compensation?

Corey Wright, vice president of public policy at Epic Games, said of the settlement: “After initially seeking $10.5 billion in damages for antitrust practices determined to be unfairly charged by Google, state attorneys general have agreed to pay $700 million.” “. Last week, a jury unanimously ruled in favor of Epic in its antitrust lawsuit against Google.

Wright pointed out that an agreement of states does not address the substance of Google’s illegal and anti-competitive conduct. “Consumers will continue to overpay for digital goods due to Google charging a super-competitive 30% fee for Google Play invoices or an undesirable 26% fee on payments in which Google does not participate.”

According to a statement by Google, out of the $700 million agreed upon in compensation, $70 million will be allocated to a fund used by the plaintiff countries, while the remaining amount of $630 million will be distributed to affected consumers through a settlement fund. In addition, the company has agreed to encourage competition in its Play Store app store. The agreement still requires final approval from a judge.

“This agreement builds on the choice and flexibility of Android, maintains strong security protections, and preserves Google’s ability to compete with other operating system makers and invest in the Android ecosystem for users and developers,” said Wilson White, vice president of government and developer affairs. Google’s public policy, in a statement.

Who is eligible and how to apply?

Any Google user who used or made purchases through the Play Store between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023 is eligible for a one-time payment of $2, plus additional payments proportional to expenses incurred in the aforementioned mobile download app.

According to CNN, approximately 102 million users are eligible for the payment, of which 71.4 million will not have to submit any application, as the company will automatically deposit $2 to all eligible users, according to its database.