Google Accused of Overcharging 20 Million UK Consumers over Play Store Fees
Google (find out more) is defending a £1.2B claim at London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal brought by approximately 20 million British consumers. They allege that up to 30% in commissions were passed into the prices they paid on the Play Store since October 2015, and Google is contesting this claim, despite settling a similar one with UK app developers for £260M six weeks ago.
Liz Coll acts as the class representative, with the lawsuit covering purchases from October 1, 2015, to July 31, 2026. As per Bloomberg, the trial at the Competition Appeal Tribunal is scheduled for seven weeks.
Google argues that it is not dominant in the market for facilitating digital content transactions and has requested the claim be dismissed. This argument mirrors one made with app developers, resulting in a settlement.
The consumer claim is significantly larger than the £260M settlement Google reached in August with competition academic Barry Rodger to resolve a claim on behalf of UK businesses that sold apps between August 2018 and July 2026.
Lawyers for the class contend that Google has “exploited its market strength to extract unfair prices” and achieved extraordinary returns over nearly two decades. In contrast, Google asserts that Android offers more choice than any other mobile platform and that Play Store provides some of the lowest fees in the market.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has already addressed part of this dispute by concluding that Apple and Google operate an effective duopoly, granting both strategic market status this year and proposing to allow developers to direct users to cheaper checkout options. These developments impact future interactions rather than historical pricing practices.
Brussels took a different approach, fining Google €890M in July, including €430M for blocking Play Store developers from directing users to alternative channels. However, these fines do not compensate the consumers who paid excessive prices.
An EU consumer cannot bring Coll’s claim due to limitations on representative actions and a 1634 statute in Ireland that prohibits litigation funding for such cases.