One of the biggest headlines last week was Epic Games’ victory against Google in the Northern California District Court. The three-year legal battle was resolved with the jury finding that Google holds a monopoly in the market for Android app distribution and in-app billing services. That court settlement wasn’t the only one fought by Google as the Android maker was also facing an antitrust lawsuit against a coalition of attorneys general from all 50 US states.
Google reached a settlement with US legal officials in September, and we now have full details of the deal, which include a $700 million contribution to a compensation fund and some changes to how the Play Store works in the US.
Google will pay $630 million into a compensation fund “to be distributed for the benefit of consumers under a plan approved by the Court.” The remaining $70 million will be set aside in a fund used by all 50 US states coordinated by each state’s attorney general.
Google will allow Android smartphone makers to preload third-party app stores on their devices and will allow developers to implement alternative billing options for apps. User-chosen billing will allow developers to show app users different pricing options within their app or game, including those that bypass the Play Store. Developers will also be able to reveal app store fees on the Play Store. Google also said it will simplify the app sideloading process with the ability to use APIs and feature splits to make app installation easier.
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