Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced a $700 million settlement with Google over allegations of anticompetitive practices. The agreement, which was joined by other state and territory counterparts, mandates Google to pay $630 million in restitution, excluding costs and fees, to individuals who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were affected by these practices, stated Paxton.
According to the official release from the attorney general's office, Google is also ordered to pay an additional $70 million in penalties and adopt improved business practices. This settlement marks the conclusion of a lawsuit filed against the technology giant in 2021.
The release further detailed that Google was accused of unlawfully monopolizing the Android app distribution market and in-app payment processing. "Specifically, Google signed anticompetitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being preloaded on Android devices, paid key app developers not to launch products on rival app stores, and created technological barriers to deter consumers from directly downloading apps to their devices," it stated.
The settlement was reached in a California federal court.