Google is to pay €303 million to app developers: it is the largest class-action settlement in the UK
Alphabet has settled a class action lawsuit over alleged excessive commissions on the Play Store, offering record compensation to the British developers affected since 2018.
Alphabet has agreed to pay £260 million (€303 million) to settle a class action in the UK alleging that the US company abused its dominant position and charged excessive fees to app developers.
The complaint alleges that Google has imposed “excessive and unfair” fees for transactions carried out via its Play Store. The action was brought on behalf of UK app developers by Barry Rodger, a professor of competition law.
According to a statement by the claimant and his lawyers, the Competition Appeal Tribunal will consider whether to approve the agreement at a hearing in September.
App developers based in the UK who have sold digital content via apps distributed on the Play Store since August 2018 are potentially entitled to compensation unless they opt out.
“This is the largest agreement reached to date” under the class action scheme in the United Kingdom for competition claims, introduced in 2015, according to Damien Geradin, who represented the app’s developers.
