Google Settles with North Carolina for $20M Over App Store Antitrust Claims

North Carolina consumers will receive approximately $20 million from a $700 million settlement between Google and several states over allegations that the tech giant restricted competition in its Google Play Store.

The North Carolina Department of Justice played a key role in the case, helping to organize a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general that challenged Google's practices. A federal court has approved the settlement, allowing for restitution payments to be made to affected consumers.

According to Attorney General Jeff Jackson, the settlement will put money back into the hands of North Carolinians who were overcharged due to Google's restrictive policies.

The lawsuit, filed in 2021 by North Carolina and other states, accused Google of limiting competition by preventing rival app stores from being preloaded on Android devices. The company was also alleged to have paid developers to create competing app stores and discouraged consumers from downloading apps outside the Google Play Store.