Multiple U.S. States Sue Google for Violating Antitrust Laws With Play Store Fees

Attorneys general representing 36 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. today levied an antitrust lawsuit [PDF] against Google to challenge Google Play Store fees, reports Politico.

play store google
The lawsuit was filed in California federal court and is led by Utah, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, and Nebraska. The states are fighting against Google's plan to require all app developers who use the Google Play Store to pay a 30 percent commission on the sales of digital goods or services, which Google plans to enforce in September.

Google last year said that in 2021, it would begin enforcing Play Store rules that require app developers to use Google's in-house billing method instead of independent payment systems. Google has long had this rule, but the company was not strictly enforcing it so developers could avoid using the Play Store billing system and Google's fees.

The change that Google is enacting would put the Google Play Store on level footing with Apple's App Store, as Apple has always required developers to use in-app purchases instead of alternative payment methods. Apple collects a 15 to 30 percent fee from app purchases and in-app purchases, and Apple's situation differs from Google's because the ‌App Store‌ is the only way to install apps. Even if Google implements its Play Store requirements, companies can still offer apps through alternative app stores.

It is not clear if Apple will be hit with a similar lawsuit, but the company has also been facing scrutiny over its ‌App Store‌ fees and policies. Alongside Google, Apple is embroiled in a legal battle with Epic Games over ‌App Store‌ fees and policies. There was a trial in May, and we're still awaiting the judge's ruling in the Apple v. Epic case.

Google is dealing with several other antitrust lawsuits that are part of a wider crackdown on tech companies. The United States Justice Department and 14 states sued Google in October over its dominance of the mobile search market, and an additional 38 states sued Google in December over the same issue.

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

cmaier Avatar
53 months ago

It's about time IOS gets opened up, that way we can finally have true third party browsers with adding. We can have torrents and emulators and all the good stuff Android gets.
You can absolutely have that today! Nobody is stopping you!

Go buy an android device!

And leave iOS and its vastly superior security model for the rest of us who don’t want to deal with all the android malware and spyware.

Thanks!
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Seoras Avatar
53 months ago

At least you have an option to use another store on Android.. I don't see how Apple won't get sued for this as well as their policy is much more strict and your limited to just the Apple App Store. If Apple gets off the hook in the Epic case, I don't see how this case wouldn't get thrown out too. But who knows what will happen in that case.
What do you think Facebook, pissed at Apple's new privacy rules in the only iOS App Store, will do if iOS is forced to open up to any app store or side loading?
Consumers need a choice. Buy Android, and have freedoms to install what you like but suffer the privacy and security consquences, or buy Apple and have someone police the software you use.
The only "consumers" I hear complaining about Apple's one app store lock down are those who hate them which includes Facebook, Microsoft et al as well as the spooks who've long complained about the end user getting too much encryption and privacy for their liking.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
53 months ago

What does that even mean? Are you saying Apple is a minor player in the App Store ecosystem?
you just invented a market.

Apple has no monopoly in any platform for which it has an App Store. Mac is a tiny percentage of the PC market. iPhone is, even in the US, only around half the smartphone market, and a lot less than that worldwide. etc.

The only time companies have been found guilty of antitrust behavior for anything even remotely similar to what apple does the App Store (there are actually no precedents that are particularly close), is when the companies controlled the overall market (i.e. when Microsoft had 80+% of the operating system market - and even the ruling against Microsoft didn’t hold up on appeals).
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fncd Avatar
53 months ago

seriously, i don't want torrents and emulators anywhere near my iphone. it's mind boggling that someone is actually expecting apple to do this...
Then….don’t install them?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
53 months ago
Sounds like the difference here is Apple has enforced this policy from the beginning and Google is trying to enforce this after years of letting it slide.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
53 months ago
Which is stupid. It's Google's platform. As long as there is an alternative, let Google do what they want.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)