Google has reached a £260 million settlement with UK app developers regarding its Play Store practices, pending approval from the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
In a major setback for Big tech, the US-based search giant Google has agreed to pay £260 million,or around Rs 33,743 Crore to settle a major lawsuit brought by UK app developers over the way it operates the Google Play Store. According to Reuters, the proposed settlement is still subject to approval by London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal.
The US-based tech giant has not admitted any wrongdoing as part of the deal. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of app developers who sold apps through Google’s Play Store in the UK. The claim had previously sought more than £1 billion in compensation.
Lawyers representing the developers accused Google of using its dominant position in the app market to limit alternative ways of distributing apps and charging developers what they described as unfair commissions.
The Alphabet-owned typically charged a commission of around 30 per cent on certain transactions through the Play Store, according to the claim.
Reuters reported that the case was expected to go to trial next month. It would have been the latest in a series of major legal battles involving large technology companies, following similar cases against Apple, Qualcomm and Sony.
However, a proposed settlement has now brought the case closer to an end.
Barry Rodger, the academic who led the case, told Reuters the settlement as ‘a great outcome’ for app developers.
“If approved, meaningful financial compensation will become available for businesses that could never have taken on a company like Google alone,” Rodger was quoted as saying.
