ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL SECURES FINAL APPROVAL IN $700 MILLION GOOGLE SETTLEMENT OVER APP STORE MONOPOLY

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL SECURES FINAL APPROVAL IN $700 MILLION GOOGLE SETTLEMENT OVER APP STORE MONOPOLY

May 01, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a federal court has stated it will approve a $700 million settlement in a multistate antitrust lawsuit against Google following allegations the tech giant dominated Android app distribution and in-app payments related to the Google Play Store.

Raoul joined a bipartisan group of 53 attorneys general in 2021 who sued Google for illegally dominating Android app distribution and for charging consumers up to 30% per transaction. The approval of the settlement ends a five-year case and gives relief to consumers nationwide who were affected by Google's actions.

"I am pleased with the court's decision to approve this settlement that will provide relief to impacted consumers while ensuring Google takes concrete steps to prevent future anticompetitive conduct," Raoul said. "My office will continue to enforce state and federal antitrust laws that protect consumers and hold businesses accountable."

The settlement forces Google to update its business practices by allowing app developers to use alternate payment systems for at least five years; informing customers about lower prices outside Google's billing system and listing their apps on competing stores without fear of retaliation; and allowing Android users to download apps from outside the Play Store for at least seven years.

Most of the settlement funds will go directly to individuals who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023. Most individuals who made a purchase will not need to fill out a claim form and will receive their payments directly through PayPal or Venmo. Consumers who do not have access to PayPal or Venmo can file a claim through a separate process to receive their payment. Additional information about the lawsuit and settlement is available on the settlement website.

Attorney General Raoul joined this effort alongside the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.