Google tentatively settles app-related antitrust claims

Google parent Alphabet on Tuesday tentatively settled a class action suit alleging that its Play Store had violated federal antitrust rules by overcharging customers, according to a court filing.

The tech giant — which faces a landmark antitrust suit seeking to break up the company’s alleged monopoly over online search, which begins next week — was facing the class action brought by attorneys general in 36 states with 21 million consumers.

Details of the proposed settlement, which was revealed in court documents filed late Tuesday in San Francisco federal court, were not disclosed.

The two parties, including lawyers representing the attorney general for Utah which is leading the group of states, asked that a trial scheduled for Nov. 6 be canceled.

Google will find out if its settlement was approved during a status conference on Oct. 12.

Should the judge reject the settlement, “the parties shall be returned to their respective litigation positions,” the court documents say.

Representatives for Google and Utah AG Sean Reyes did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The class-action suit was originally filed in July 2021, alleging Google monopolizes the Android app distribution and in-app purchases market.

Google “enjoys a market share exceeding 90%, and it can set prices and exclude competitors at will,” the lawsuit alleged.

The company is facing similar lawsuits that allege that it has generated enormous profit margins from its Play Store by engaging in illegal tactics to preserve monopolies in selling Android apps and in-app goods.

They argue that Google has unlawfully mandated that some apps use the company’s payment tools and give Google as much as 30% of digital goods sales

Epic Games, which has brought such a claim, is not a party to the proposed Google Play settlement, founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“If Google is ending its payments monopoly without imposing a Google Tax on third-party transactions, we’ll settle and be Google’s friend in their new era,” he said, adding that if the settlement left the “Google tax” in place, the company will “fight on.”

Match Group has also brought a claim. A spokesperson for Match declined to comment.

Google faces a separate serious challenge to its search business from the Justice Department, which is suing Alphabet for allegedly monopolizing the internet search and advertising markets.

The case is set to go to trial on Sept. 12.

With Post wires