AG Griffin announces $700 million multi-state settlement with Google

Attorney General Tim Griffin announced Thursday (Dec. 11) a $700 million multi-state settlement with Google. Griffin and 52 other attorneys general were part of the case.

Preliminary approval was granted on November 20, 2025, triggering the court’s notice and approval process. If the court approves the settlement at a hearing on April 30, 2026, the majority of the settlement funds will be distributed to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and who were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive conduct.

Google will also stop its anticompetitive practices that harmed consumers and app developers. Eligible consumers will receive between $2 and $20,034, with an average settlement award of $4.41.

“The $700 million settlement with Google is a step in the right direction toward accountability and fairness. Google’s anticompetitive practices harmed consumers and developers. Google used exclusionary agreements with phone manufacturers and carriers to control app distribution on Android devices through its Play Store. These agreements allowed Google to demand a 30 percent fee—10 times higher than competing payment systems—for app sales and in-app purchases. This practice raised prices for consumers and limited choices, eliminating competition for app stores and payment systems.

“These actions were deceptive and unconscionable, and I will continue fighting to protect Arkansas families and ensure that companies play by the rules,” said Griffin.

The settlement fund will make the majority of payments automatically, and no claim form is necessary in most cases.

Once the court approves the settlement, consumers will receive an email from PayPal or a text from Venmo notifying them of their incoming payment at the email address or mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account. If that email address or phone number is also associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then the payment will be made directly to that account.

If that email address or phone number does not match an email address or phone number associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then consumers have the option to create a new account or direct the payment to a PayPal or Venmo account at another email address or phone number.