Google Tentatively Settles Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Overcharging on U.S. Play Store

Tech giant Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has reached a tentative settlement in a class action lawsuit filed by 21 million consumers. The plaintiffs alleged that Google overcharged customers on the U.S. Google Play Store, violating federal antitrust regulations. While Google maintains its innocence, this development marks a significant milestone in a broader landscape of antitrust litigation against the company.

In the court filing on Tuesday, it was revealed that the proposed settlement aims to address the grievances of millions of consumers who claimed they may have spent more money on apps due to Google’s alleged monopoly on the platform. The lawsuit also suggests that consumers had limited options within the Google Play Store ecosystem.

Details of the settlement, including the financial terms, were not disclosed in the court filing. The proposed resolution is still pending approval from the court.

The case had been scheduled to go to trial on November 6. However, lawyers representing Utah’s attorney general, the proposed class action plaintiffs, and Google jointly requested that the trial be canceled, signaling their intent to resolve the matter out of court.

It’s important to note that while this tentative settlement represents progress in this specific lawsuit, it does not resolve the broader antitrust complaints against Google regarding its app store practices. Separate legal challenges