Google Settles Play Store Lawsuit, Pays $700 Million

Google has agreed to pay $700 million and make several minor changes to its Google Play app store as part of a settlement with all 50 state attorneys general in the US. The settlement includes provisions such as allowing developers to steer consumers away from the Google Play Store, enabling alternative in-app billing systems, and lifting restrictions on preloaded app stores. However, many of these changes have expiration dates and some are seen as not significant concessions. The settlement also introduces Google's User Choice Billing program, which has been criticized for offering a minimal discount and not allowing developers to link to their own websites for discounted rates. The settlement is pending court approval, and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has called it an "injustice" that endorses Google's monopoly.