Class action lawsuits are a mixed bag. In both how much people affected get paid and who really benefits from these settlements. And of course the companies frequently appeal the decisions, as Google is doing here.
Several companies sued Google for unfair business practices related to their required 30% fee for apps on the Google Play store and the courts ruled in December 2023 against Google.
Roughly 102 million US consumers will be eligible to receive a total of $630 million in compensation as part of the settlement which resolves long-running allegations that Google harmed competition through its app store terms and fees. The other $70 million will be paid to the dozens of states that participated in the suit.
Google users will share $630 million after its Play store settlement | CNN Business
This December 2023 court decision that Google lost is the second lawsuit, apparently, they lost due to unfair business practices. The other lawsuit required Google to pay $400+ million. When we do the math, that’s over a billion out of Google coffers for doing evil in the court’s eyes. Remember their mantra to “do no evil” (Ed: “Don’t Be Evil”, see here) … because it seems they didn’t.
It’s interesting this 30% fee, and whomever came up with this number as a fair cut of digital products, including games. Apple has come under fire for this fee as well for iOS, so don’t think Google is alone here in this fee under fire.
Speaking of Epic Games, the same linked article above points out they consider the $700 (total) million settlement as “weak” and are seeking more “meaningful payout” (billions, in other words) in their own lawsuit over Google’s practices. Google is also under fire legally for unfair business practices with legal challenges over how they operate their advertising business and search operations.
About 70 million Americans that have used Google Play from 2016 forward will be notified if they qualify for the minimum $2 USD payment. Watch your emails. Yeah, $2 won’t even buy a cup of Starbucks coffee or in many areas not even half a gallon of gas. Have to agree on an individual level, this an eye roll. Let us know in the comments if/when you receive your $2 … or if, bonus, you receive more, which is possible.