Alphabet, States Reach $700 Million Deal in Google Play Feud
- Tentative antitrust settlement had been announced in September
- Google lost a trial this month to Epic Games over app store
Alphabet Inc. will pay $700 million and alter its Google Play policies to settle claims that the app store unlawfully dominates the Android mobile applications market, resolving antitrust complaints brought by attorneys general of about three dozen states and consumers.
The deal, disclosed in a court filing late Monday, calls for changes to Play Store policies to reduce barriers to competition in the markets for app distribution and payment processing. The lawsuits, grouped together in federal court in California, threatened billions of dollars in revenue generated by the sale and distribution of apps through Google Play.