In 2021, the attorneys general of 36 states in the United States and Washington, D.C., jointly sued Google for violating antitrust laws, especially the exclusivity clause and anti-competitive behavior in Google Play, but Google announced on Monday (12 18) that the two sides had signed a settlement agreement in September this year, including agreeing to pay $700 million, allowing third-party app marketplaces, and supporting third-party payments, etc., The settlement agreement is still pending court approval.
At that time, state attorneys general believed that Google had a monopoly on the mobile operating system and the distribution of Android programs, restricting developers from distributing programs on Google Play through technical thresholds and conditions, forcing OEMs to sign terms to restrict third-party marketplaces built into devices, and illegally monopolizing Android's in-program purchasing mechanism.
Under the agreement between the parties, Google agreed to pay a settlement amount of $700 million, of which 6300 million will be paid to the consumer benefit**, another 0700 million is paid to the states**.
In addition to the money, Google has also promised to improve its strategy related to Google Play, pointing out that Google has long allowed Android devices to install third-party app marketplaces, and most Android devices have two or more app marketplaces installed, and the latest agreement will explicitly allow OEMs to pre-install various app market options, and also improve support for third-party app marketplaces with Android 14.
In addition, the Android platform originally allowed users to sideload applications, such as directly from the developer's **on** program, just for the sake of security, it will warn the user **, and in the future, Google will simplify the sideloading process and update the statements used.
Google has tested support for third-party payments in many markets, rather than using Android's built-in Google payment system, and has begun to allow developers to list different payments based on *** in their payment procedures for users to choose from.
However, Epic Games, which won the antitrust lawsuit with Google, criticized the settlement on the same day, pointing out that the states originally sought $10.5 billion in damages, but eventually accepted a $700 million settlement, and said that developers must pay 30% of the fees through Google's payment system, but still have to pay 26% to Google if they use a third-party payment system, and the agreement does not address the core issue of Google's violation of competition, Epic Games will continue to pursue meaningful remedies to make the Android ecosystem truly open.