Back in 2021, WA state joined 36 other state’s attorney generals in a suit against Google, claiming various unfair business practices. Now, the suit has been settled, and a lot of folks in WA will be getting a little money.
The lawsuit claimed Google used unfair practices to protect its dominance
According to Ferguson’s office on Tuesday, December 19th:
“The lawsuit asserted that Google’s anticompetitive tactics included, among others, blocking non-Google Play Store apps from advertising on Google’s ubiquitous search platforms. These practices have helped Google dominate the Android app distribution market. Well over 90 percent of all Android apps are downloaded from Google Play Store.”
Besides the $700 million settlement, Google also agreed to make changes to its business practices to avoid future anti-competitive illegal activity. Of that $700 million $10.6 million will be used in WA state for reimbursements to citizens.
According to terms of the suit, 2.9 million WA state residents use some sort of Android phone, which has Google as its primary operating system. The suit also says about 40,000 app developers live in our state.
How much money will WA state residents get?
According to Ferguson’s office:
“Each eligible consumer will receive at least $2, with additional payments depending on how much they spent in the Play Store between August of 2016 and September of 2023. An estimated 2.9 million Washingtonians have Android phones, though only those who paid for apps through the Play Store, or paid for in-app purchases, are eligible.”
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