If you own Android, you could receive a $700 million settlement from Google’s lawsuit

After a massive lawsuit loss, Google was forced to pay millions of dollars.

Four years ago, the tech giant was sued by the US Department of Justice along with several US states, which accused Google of abusing its power over consumer access to applications on mobile devices running the Android operating system.

Then in 2021, Epic Games and other developers also filed a lawsuit against Google.

As for Google’s troubles, it largely came down to the fact that it reportedly forced game developers to use its proprietary payment system for apps downloaded from the Play Store — under which Google takes a 15 to 30 percent cut of all transactions, according to Forbes .

The first lawsuit was settled in September 2023, but no details were provided at the time.

However, in December 2023, after a jury found that Google had violated U.S. antitrust laws, Google shared more about the settlement and also announced other changes it plans to make.

The company’s original cut of 15 to 30 percent has been reduced to 11 to 26 percent, with Google pledging to provide a variety of pricing options on the Play Store so consumers can pay for the product directly to the developer rather than through Google Play’s billing system.

Developers can now also display different prices for their products in the app without needing Google’s permission.

In addition, Google is paying as much as $630 million “to be distributed to consumers pursuant to a court-approved plan,” as well as an additional $70 million to a fund for use by the states.

Under the court settlement, eligible consumers who made a purchase on the Play Store between August 16, 2016 and September 30, 2023 will receive at least $2.

As for how to get the money, (fortunately) you don’t have to do much.

Eligible customers will be automatically notified of available options to receive their share of the money.

The 2023 settlement was another huge blow to Google after the tech giant was forced to pay a staggering $400 million to Android and iPhone users last year over privacy violations.

Ouch.