Google faced an antitrust lawsuit related to its Google Play Store’s dominance within the Android mobile app market. The accusation was that Google leveraged its control to create a monopoly, resulting in higher prices for consumers. To settle this lawsuit, Google agreed to a $700 million payout, with $630 million of that amount designated for consumer payouts.
As per the Business Insider report, the $630 million payout aims to compensate consumers who might have faced higher prices due to Google’s alleged monopoly practices. Lawyers involved in the case estimate that approximately 102 million people could be eligible to receive a portion of this settlement money.
Remarkably, a significant portion, around 70 per cent of those fully eligible, which roughly equates to about 71.4 million people, might receive automatic compensation. This means that these individuals wouldn’t need to take any action to claim their share of the payout. The distribution process might be structured to identify and compensate eligible consumers automatically.
This kind of settlement often occurs in class-action lawsuits, where a large group of individuals, in this case, consumers affected by Google’s alleged practices, can collectively sue a company Google) and receive compensation if the court approves a settlement.
Who is eligible to receive the money?
If you had a “legal address” in the US in your Google payment profile when you bought an app from the Google Play Store or made an in-app payment between August 16, 2016, and September 30, 2023, you might be eligible for payment. Your address could have been in any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands.
Those who qualify can expect to receive an email notification. About 70 per cent of eligible people will automatically receive payment without needing to do anything. Each person should receive at least $2, but the final amount depends on how much money they spent on apps during that time period.
The notification email will be sent to the same email address linked to the user’s Google Play Store account. If this email address is connected to a PayPal or Venmo account, payment will likely be sent through one of these platforms. Those receiving payments through PayPal or Venmo will also get an email confirming the payment.
For people eligible for larger payments but didn’t receive payment through PayPal, Venmo, or any other method, they can expect to receive a payment via check.
As of now, it’s unclear how the remaining 30 per cent of eligible individuals will be able to claim their money. Usually, a dedicated website is set up for eligible people to file claims and request payment. Keep an eye out for updates or instructions regarding how to claim the money if you’re part of this group.
