AG’s office provides instructions for Washingtonians eligible for payments from $700 million Google settlement

Attorney General Nick Brown announced that new instructions are available to help eligible consumers receive payment from a $700 million settlement the AG’s office and a coalition of 52 other attorneys general reached with Google in 2023. The coalition sued Google for monopolistic conduct in the operation of the Google Play store, alleging that Google unlawfully maintained a monopoly over mobile app distribution and in-app payment processing for Android devices and used its monopoly power to charge consumers as much as 30 percent in fees for purchasing apps and making in-app purchases.

“Washington will always stand up to corporate monopolies to protect consumers and entrepreneurs from unfair practices,” said Brown. “No one is above the law. We are proud to deliver this money for Washingtonians and encourage anyone eligible for this settlement to make sure you get what you deserve.”

The majority of the settlement funds will be distributed to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive conduct. A court has already preliminarily approved the settlement and has set a hearing to consider whether to give it final approval in April 2026.

Joining Brown in securing this settlement are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Information on Settlement Eligibility and Logistics: Consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive practices began receiving notices about the distribution process for the settlement funds on December 2, 2025. Most affected consumers do not need to take further action to receive a payment from the settlement fund. The settlement fund will make the majority of payments automatically, and no claim form is necessary in most cases. If you believe you are eligible for the settlement but have not received a notice, visit the settlement website. Note: the settlement website may not be accessible if you are connected to a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Once the settlement has been approved by the court, consumers will receive an email from PayPal or a text from Venmo notifying them of their incoming payment at the email address or mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account. If that email address or phone number is also associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then the payment will be made directly to that account. If that email address or phone number does not match an email address or phone number associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then consumers have the option to create a new account or direct the payment to a PayPal or Venmo account at another email address or phone number.

There will be a supplemental claims process after the automatic payments process is complete for consumers who either:

• Do not have an existing PayPal or Venmo account and do not want to sign up for PayPal or Venmo;
• No longer have access to the email address or mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account; or
• Were expecting to receive a payment but did not.

If consumers would like to be notified by email when the supplemental claims process starts, they may submit their name, email address, and mobile phone number on the settlement website.

Brown encourages all affected consumers to keep track of important upcoming dates in the settlement approval process:

• Consumers who do not want to receive payment from the settlement fund and want to bring their own case against Google must submit a request to be excluded online or in writing by February 19, 2026.
• Consumers who want to object to the settlement can file a written objection by February 19, 2026.
• The court will hold a hearing on April 30, 2026, to consider whether to approve the settlement. 

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