Google is facing up to $16.3 billion class lawsuit in the UK. A California judge has given his nod for the suit to proceed as a consumer class action involving 21 million people who accuse Google of violating US anti-competition laws in how it runs its Google Play app store.
According to Reuters, James Donato, a US District Judge said in a 27-page order that the plaintiffs had established the legal framework of “community” and other factors to form a class action that claim anticompetitive business practices against Google.
Among those involved in the class action are the Play Store individual consumers in 12 states, including Ohio, Michigan and Georgia, in addition to American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Responding, a Google spokesperson said as per Reuters, “We’re evaluating the ruling, and after that, we’ll assess our options.”
In 2021, Google found itself on the wrong side of India’s antitrust watchdog based on the outcome of a probe. The Android OS maker, according to the probe, was said to have abused its Android dominant position in India. This, according to the probe, illegally hurts competitors in the market.
According to the probe, Google reduced device manufacturing companies’ ability and incentive to develop and sell devices that run alternative versions of Android. Citing two people familiar with the report, TechCrunch reports that Google’s requirement that makes it mandatory for device manufacturers to pre-install its apps violate India’s competition law.
When it comes to antitrust, India is a familiar ground for Google—the company is not new to the law book being thrown at it. In 2020, a new charge was brought against the search engine giant in the smart TV market.
Allegations of serious abuse of dominance in the smart TV market was brought against Google. The tech giant was accused of allegedly abusing its Android OS’ position in the smart TV market.
The Competition Commission of India, according to Reuters, has been looking into allegations of Google engaging in anti-competitive practices since June. The source says the company has been creating hurdles for firms wanting to use or develop modified versions of Android for smart TVs.
In 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US Department of Justice was planning to initiate an antitrust probe into the activities of Google as it relates to Search, which it later started later that year. Just last June, reports that the US Department of Justice was preparing to file a suit against Google.
