 Technology |
Technology |
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Google pays $700M to settle with states |
Google agreed to pay $700 million to settle allegations that the company engaged in anticompetitive practices in its Android app store in a suit brought by state attorneys general. |
The agreement was struck in September between the parties but was filed late Monday in a federal court in San Francisco, our colleague Lauren Sforza reported. The settlement includes all 50 states and allocates a $630 million payout for U.S. consumers who used a payment system in Google's Play store. The states allege the system magnified prices for in-app purchases. Google's store collects 15 to 30 percent of commission on in-app purchases. "The Complaint also alleges state-law antitrust and consumer protection claims. Specifically, the States allege that Google has unreasonably restrained trade and monopolized Android app distribution and payment-processing services through anticompetitive conduct," the settlement agreement states. Those who are eligible will receive at least $2. Additional payments may be issued depending on how those eligible spent on Google Play from Aug. 16, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2023. Google will also need to pay $70 million to the states in penalties and other costs. The settlement needs to be approved by a judge. Google's vice president of government affairs and public policy Wilson White in a blog post said the settlement "builds on Android's choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections, and retains Google's ability to compete with other OS makers." White said Google will allow app and game developers to implement an alternative billing system alongside Google Play's existing one. "Android and Google Play provide choices and opportunities for innovation that other platforms we compete against simply don't – from allowing for multiple app stores and avenues of app distribution to piloting new ways for users to pay for in-app purchases," he wrote in the post. Read more in a full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Rebecca Klar and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. |
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How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: |
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A group of Democratic senators asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include members with backgrounds in civil rights, medical ethics and disability rights on the agency's new Digital Health Advisory Committee. The FDA announced the nine-member committee in October to help explore issues related to digital health technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and wearable health technology. The committee will … |
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| Meta lowered its thresholds for using automated tools to detect and remove potentially violating content during the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, which led valuable content being mistakenly taken down, Meta's Oversight Board said Tuesday. The decision was part of the Oversight Board's expedited review of two pieces of content on the Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram. One posted to Facebook … |
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Billionaire Elon Musk shot back at comedian John Oliver after he issued a scathing takedown of the entrepreneur and businessman on his HBO show over the weekend. |
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A group representing several social media giants, including Google, Meta, TikTok and X, sued Utah on Monday over the state's new social media law that requires platforms to verify user ages and obtain parental consent for minors. The Utah Social Media Regulation Act, which is set to go into effect in March, also requires social media companies to restrict minor access to accounts between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. and bars advertising … |
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News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: |
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Hackers stole data on nearly 36M Xfinity customers |
Comcast said hackers accessed sensitive information on nearly 36 million Xfinity customers in a data breach in late October, TechCrunch reported. |
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Blue Origin launches rocket after 15-month pause |
Blue Origin, the aerospace company owned by Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its New Shepard rocket on Tuesday after a 15-month pause in flights, CNN reported. |
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Branch out with other reads on The Hill: |
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Meta's initial decisions to remove 2 videos of Israel-Hamas war reversed by Oversight Board |
MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — A quasi-independent review board has ruled that Facebook parent company Meta should overturn two decisions it made this fall to remove posts "informing the world about human suffering on both sides" of the Israel-Hamas war. In both cases, Meta ended up reinstating the posts … |
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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Colorado's highest court Thursday knocked former President Trump off the state's Republican primary ballot under the 14th Amendment in a 4-3 ruling, making it the first state to block him from seeking the presidency because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Read more |
| Former President Trump launched new attacks Monday against New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) and Judge Arthur Engoron, the judge overseeing … Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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