Google Faces £1.2 Billion UK Consumer Claim Over Play Store Fees

Google is facing a £1.2 billion claim in London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, brought on behalf of roughly 20 million UK consumers. The lawsuit alleges that Play Store commissions of up to 30% were passed on to consumers through higher prices since October 2015. This comes just six weeks after Google settled a similar claim from UK app developers for £260 million, without admitting any wrongdoing.

The class representative, Liz Coll, is seeking compensation for purchases made between October 1, 2015, and July 31, 2026. The trial, which is set to last seven weeks, argues that Google’s fees led to inflated prices for consumers. Google, however, contends that it is not dominant in the market for facilitating digital content transactions and has asked for the claim to be dismissed.

Lawyers representing the class claim that Google has “exploited its market strength to extract unfair prices” and generated significant returns for nearly two decades. Google counters that Android offers more choice than any other mobile platform and that Play provides “some of the lowest fees in the market.”

The case echoes a recent finding by the Competition and Markets Authority, which deemed Apple and Google an effective duopoly and proposed allowing developers to direct users to cheaper checkouts. However, this regulatory action focuses on future practices rather than past overcharging. Additionally, the European Union fined Google €890 million in July, with €430 million of that fine related to preventing Play developers from guiding users to cheaper payment options.