Alphabet’s Google agreed to pay £260 million to settle a UK class-action lawsuit brought by app developers who alleged the company abused its market position and imposed excessive commissions on its Play Store.
The settlement, disclosed on Thursday, resolves claims that Google’s standard 30% commission rate constituted abusive conduct and restricted developers from distributing apps through alternative channels. The proposed agreement, which does not include an admission of liability, is subject to approval by the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London, where the case was scheduled to proceed to trial next month.
The lawsuit, led by academic Barry Rodger, was originally valued at just over £1 billion. Under the terms of the 19-page settlement document, Google maintains it has strong defenses against the claims while agreeing to the financial payout. Lawyers for Rodger described the deal as a positive outcome for developers, stating that if approved, it would provide significant compensation to smaller firms that could not otherwise challenge a company of Google’s scale.
The agreement marks the fourth major legal challenge against a large technology company since early 2025, following similar actions against Apple, Qualcomm, and Sony. The UK case reflects broader regulatory scrutiny of app store practices and commission structures globally.
