Google is contesting a £1.2B claim brought before London's Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of approximately 20 million British consumers, who contend that Play Store commissions reaching as high as 30% were embedded into the prices they paid for apps and digital content. The disputed period spans from October 2015 through July 2026. Just six weeks prior, Google agreed to settle an analogous claim from UK app developers for £260M, though the company made no admission of liability in that agreement.
Liz Coll serves as the class representative in the consumer action, which is scheduled for a seven-week trial at the tribunal. The crux of the case centres on whether a levy of up to 30% was ultimately absorbed by consumers through higher purchase prices. Google maintains that it does not hold a dominant position in the market for facilitating digital content transactions between app creators and end users, and has requested that the claim be dismissed.
Counsel representing the consumer class argued to the tribunal that Google has "exploited its market strength to extract unfair prices" and accumulated exceptional profits over nearly two decades. In response, Google contends that Android provides consumers with greater choice than competing mobile platforms, and that the Play Store features "some of the lowest fees in the market".
The consumer claim is nearly five times larger than the developer settlement and extends the complaint period back almost three additional years. In August, it was reported that Google would pay £260M to settle a claim brought by competition academic Barry Rodger on behalf of UK businesses selling apps between August 2018 and July 2026, with £160M directed to developers and £100M allocated to legal costs.
Regulatory bodies have already begun addressing aspects of this dispute. The Competition and Markets Authority determined that Apple and Google operate an effective duopoly in mobile app distribution, designated both companies as having strategic market status this year, and recommended permitting developers to direct users toward alternative, lower-cost payment channels. Meanwhile, the European Commission took a financial enforcement approach, imposing a €890M fine on Google in July, of which €430M specifically targeted the company's practice of preventing Play developers from steering users to cheaper checkout options.
However, these regulatory actions address future conduct rather than compensating those who already paid elevated prices. European Union consumers cannot pursue a claim similar to Coll's, as EU law restricts representative actions to non-profit organisations. In Ireland, an archaic statute dating to 1634 continues to obstruct the litigation funding mechanisms that would otherwise enable such cases to proceed.
Source: The Next Web
