Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has settled a suit with all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories over anti-competitive actions taken in the Google Play Store. The company has agreed to pay $700 million to settle the suit, of which $70 million will go towards covering penalties, restitution, disgorgement, and fees, and the remaining $630 million will be disbursed to those who made purchases on the Play Store between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023.
Individuals who qualify to receive part of the settlement will be sent a check of at least $2, and possibly more, depending on how much they spent in the Play Store during the specified time period. Information regarding the web address for filing claims online will be disclosed by the lawyers, and we will share that information once it becomes available.
In a separate case, Google has settled a $5 billion lawsuit over accusations of tracking the personal data of millions of people using the incognito mode on the Chrome Browser. The settlement awaits the signature of a federal judge, which is expected to take place no later than February 24, 2023.
The plaintiffs alleged that Google tracked their browsing histories even with incognito mode enabled, using analytics, cookies, and other tools on iOS and Android devices. These actions allowed Google to gather a significant amount of personal information about users, and the plaintiffs’ attorneys were seeking $5,000 in damages for each user. The preliminary settlement has led to a hold on the scheduled trial date for the proposed class action lawsuit.
As more details on these settlements become available, we will be sure to provide updates on how users can claim their part of the settlement. Stay tuned for more information.
