Google has agreed to a $700 million settlement to resolve an antitrust lawsuit centered around its dominance in the Android mobile app market through the Google Play Store. The lawsuit accused Google of using its control to establish a monopoly, leading to increased prices for consumers. As part of this settlement, $630 million has been earmarked for consumer payouts.
According to a Business Insider report, the $630 million payout is intended to compensate users who may have experienced inflated prices due to Google’s alleged monopoly practices. Lawyers involved in the case estimate that around 102 million people could be eligible to receive a share of this settlement money.
A notable aspect is that approximately 70 percent of fully eligible individuals, equivalent to about 71.4 million people, might automatically receive compensation without having to take any action. This automatic distribution process aims to identify and compensate eligible consumers seamlessly, a common approach in class-action lawsuits.
If you have been a Google services user or made app purchases through the Google Play Store within the relevant period covered by the lawsuit, you could be entitled to a portion of the $630 million payout without the need for active claiming. Specific details on eligibility and the distribution process will likely be provided by the court or the settlement administrator.
Who is eligible to receive the money?
If you had a “legal address” in the US on your Google payment profile when making a Google Play Store app purchase or in-app payment between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023, you might qualify for payment. The eligible address could be in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands.
Eligible individuals can expect to receive an email notification, and about 70 percent of them will automatically receive payment without any action required. Each person should receive a minimum of $2, with the final amount dependent on their app spending during the specified period.
Notification emails will be sent to the email address associated with the user’s Google Play Store account. Payments for those linked to PayPal or Venmo accounts will likely be processed through these platforms, accompanied by a confirmation email.
For individuals eligible for larger payments who didn’t receive funds through electronic methods, they can anticipate receiving a payment via check. The process for the remaining 30 percent of eligible individuals to claim their money is yet to be clarified, typically through a dedicated website for filing claims and payment requests.
