Google hit with class-action lawsuit claiming Play Store monopolizes Android app market
An antitrust lawsuit lodged against Google this week alleges the search giant participates in anticompetitive practices including exclusionary behavior associated with a 30% fee on Play Store transactions.
Lodged in California federal court by law firm Hagens Berman, the suit seeks monetary and injunctive relief against Google for alleged anticompetitive practices and supracompetitive Google Play distribution and in-app payment processing fees. Plaintiff Pure Sweat Basketball is named as the case's sole plaintiff, though the law firm is soliciting other developers to come forward and join as part of a larger class.According to a press release, the lawsuit aims to shine a light on Google's "ongoing abuse of its market power, including the exclusion of competition, the stifling of innovation, the inhibition of consumer choice, and Google's imposition on app developers of a supracompetitive 30% transaction fee." Google, like Apple, takes a slice of app store payments and in-app purchases, including subscriptions.
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