Utah-led lawsuit will likely lead to $700 million payout from Google to states and consumers

SALT LAKE CITY — Google is likely about to pay out $700 million to consumers and state governments, and it’s all thanks to a Utah-led lawsuit.

The Utah Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection said Friday that courts indicated they will approve a $700 million agreement between Google and a group of 52 attorneys general over “ anticompetitive conduct” in the Google Play Store, the tech giant’s app store for Android devices.

“The lawsuit, Utah et al. v. Google , claimed that Google used its power to enter into exclusive agreements that prevented companies from gaining access to key distribution channels,” the agency said. “This resulted in higher prices and fewer choices for both developers and consumers.”

The states’ lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleged that Google “ un