Google agrees £260m settlement over Play Store fee dispute
Alphabet has agreed to a £260m payout to settle claims that its Play Store charges were unfairly high for UK app developers.
Google has reached a settlement worth £260m to end a class‑action lawsuit accusing the tech giant of imposing excessive commissions on developers using its Play Store. The deal, announced by the law firm representing the claimants, will be subject to approval by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).
What the case alleged
The claim, brought by competition‑law professor Barry Rodger on behalf of UK‑based app developers, argued that Alphabet abused its dominant position by charging steep fees on transactions made through the Google Play Store to Android users. The lawsuit targeted sales from August 2018 onward, seeking compensation for developers who said the fees eroded their profitability.
Why it matters for developers
If the CAT signs off, thousands of developers could receive payments calculated on the basis of their qualifying sales since 2018. The amount each party receives will vary, but the settlement promises to deliver funds within three years of the claim being filed, according to the claimants’ counsel.
"The largest settlement to date" for a competition‑law class action, "should see money getting into developers' hands less than three years after the claim was filed," said Damien Geradin, founding partner of Geradin Partners.
Geradin Partners, the firm that represented the developers, said the agreement provides “meaningful financial compensation” that would have been impossible for individual businesses to secure against a corporation the size of Google.
What comes next
The CAT will review the terms before granting final approval. Should the settlement be endorsed, eligible developers who do not opt out will be issued payouts, while the case will be formally closed. The resolution also follows a similar high‑profile claim against Apple, which faced a billion‑pound settlement over alleged unlawful fees on its App Store.
Google’s spokesperson said the company remains committed to supporting the UK developer community and looks forward to moving beyond the litigation.
