News Summary

• The others are:The Washington Attorney General’s Office has also filed consumer protection and campaign finance cases against the technology company.In January of 2022, Ferguson filed a lawsuit asserting Google uses a number of deceptive and unfair practices to obtain users’ “consent” to be tracked..
• In October, Ferguson announced his intention to file a second lawsuit against Google after a referral from the state Public Disclosure Commission, accusing the company of continuing to violate campaign finance disclosure laws.-30-Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington..
• An estimated 40,000 app developers live in Washington.The states’ lawsuit asserted that Google unlawfully forced out its competition for Play Store and its payment processing service, Play Billing, in several ways..
• Globally, approximately 75 percent of smartphones use Android.An estimated 2.9 million Washingtonians and more than 100 million people nationwide use a phone that runs on Android, Google’s operating system..
• We will continue to fight for a competitive marketplace that increases consumer choice, improves affordability and provides a level playing field for business.”The lawsuit asserted that Google’s anticompetitive tactics included, among others, blocking non-Google Play Store apps from advertising on Google’s ubiquitous search platforms..
• For example:Because of Google’s exclusionary conduct, even large, sophisticated content distributors like Amazon have failed to create a competitive alternative to Google Play Store.Resolution detailsAs a result of the lawsuit, Google will pay a total of $700 million to the states..