LONDON: Google is facing a lawsuit seeking more than £1 billion in damages over alleged excessive charges on its Play Store.
The collective action represents about 20 million UK consumers and businesses, according to the claim. It is being heard by the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).
Consumer technology policy expert Liz Coll is bringing the claim as the class representative. She is a former Citizens Advice manager.
The case alleges that Google abused its position in the mobile app market. It claims the company charged developers commissions of up to 30%.
According to the claim, developers passed some of those costs to consumers through higher prices.
The case covers eligible purchases made through the UK version of the Google Play Store between October 1, 2015, and July 31, 2026.
What the Google Play Claim Covers
The claim includes paid apps, subscriptions and digital content.
It also covers in-game purchases. These include extra lives, virtual items, power-ups and upgrades that remove advertisements.
The claim argues that consumers effectively paid part of Google’s commission through higher prices.
Coll said millions of people may have paid these costs without realizing they were included in the prices of digital products.
The claim seeks more than £1 billion in damages for the class as a whole. Any compensation would depend on the tribunal’s decision and an approved distribution process.
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Google Rejects the Allegations
Google has rejected the claims and said its Play Store fees remain competitive.
The company also argues that Android gives users more choice than competing mobile platforms.
“Android gives people more choice than any other mobile platform,” a Google spokesperson said.
The company said the Play Store offers some of the lowest fees in the market.
Google also said the lawsuit overlooks competition within the Android ecosystem. It pledged to defend its services vigorously.
Case Has Faced Delays
The legal action began in 2021 and has gone through several stages before reaching trial.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal granted Coll permission to proceed with the collective claim in 2022. The case was later managed alongside other proceedings involving Google’s app store practices.
The tribunal scheduled the latest trial for October 2026. The proceedings are expected to run for several weeks.
The case also follows a separate UK action involving app developers.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, agreed in September to pay £260 million to settle a separate class action brought by UK app developers.
The Google consumer case remains unresolved. The tribunal has yet to determine whether Google breached competition law or whether consumers are entitled to damages.
