US Judge May Lessen Google’s Penalty in Play Store Antitrust Case
(Reuters) – A U.S. judge plans to free Google from having to defend itself against a class-action lawsuit by 21 million consumers who alleged it violated federal antitrust laws by overcharging them on the Google Play app store.
A ruling by U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco on Monday could significantly reduce damages that Google, a unit of Alphabet, may have to pay for distributing Android mobile apps.
Consumers argued that they would have paid less for apps and enjoyed a wider selection without Google’s alleged monopoly. Google has denied any wrongdoing.
Donato said his order to certify the November 2022 class should be thrown out because his decision announced Monday not to allow an economist to testify as an expert witness for consumers removed a “substantial part” of their argument for certification.
The judge said he could not immediately cancel the class because Google had appealed his November decision. He urged Google and consumer advocates to try to resolve the issue before the Sept. 7 hearing.
The class-action lawsuit involved consumers from 12 US states and five territories who were not involved in a similar lawsuit filed against Google by several state attorneys general.
Class actions allow plaintiffs to sue as a group and potentially receive larger recoveries at lower costs than if they were forced to sue individually.
Consumer advocates did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Google and its lawyers did not immediately respond to similar requests.
The case is part of a wide-ranging antitrust lawsuit involving 38 states and the District of Columbia and companies including Epic Games and Match Group.
In re Google Play Store Antitrust Litigation, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 21-md-02981.
