“This settlement builds on Android’s choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections and retains Google’s ability to compete” with makers of other operating systems, Wilson White, Google’s vice president for government affairs and public policy, said in a statement. White said the agreement also maintains the company’s ability to invest in the Android ecosystem for users and developers.
Alphabet Inc. will pay US$700 million ($931.7 million) and alter its Google Play policies to settle claims that the app store unlawfully dominates the Android mobile applications market, resolving antitrust complaints brought by attorneys general of about three dozen states and consumers.
The deal, disclosed in a court filing late Monday, calls for changes to Play Store policies to reduce barriers to competition in the markets for app distribution and payment processing. The lawsuits, grouped together in federal court in California, threatened billions of dollars in revenue generated by the sale and distribution of apps through Google Play.
