Listen up, folks! Yesterday, Google – you know, that big tech giant under the Alphabet umbrella – gave us quite the surprise! Word on the street is they’ve shaken hands on a deal to settle that pesky lawsuit about their U.S. Play Store. Allegedly, they’ve been playing a bit too fast and loose with pricing, making our pockets a tad lighter than they ought to be.
Now, between you, me, and the lamppost, the nitty-gritty of this deal is hush-hush. But here’s the juicy part: a whopping 30 U.S. states joined hands, speaking up for a massive crowd – think 21 million folks! – claiming that maybe, just maybe, they would’ve had a bit more green in their wallets if Google wasn’t hogging the playground.
Wouldn’t you know it? The big wigs getting ready for the November 6th courtroom showdown are now whispering about calling the whole thing off. Hmmm, makes you wonder, right?
Now, don’t get it twisted: Google’s playing coy. They’re batting their eyes and saying, “Who, me? Nah, didn’t do anything wrong!” And the lawyers for us regular Joes? Mum’s the word. And don’t even get me started on the legal eagle for the states; they’re playing hard to get and didn’t spill a bean when asked for a two cents.
But let’s not pop the champagne yet. The judge still needs to give this deal a nod.
Hold onto your hats! If you thought this was the end of the drama, think again. Google’s still in hot water with other folks singing the same tune. They’re pointing fingers at the tech giant, accusing it of making a pretty penny off its Play Store by bending the rules. Epic Games, for one, is still on the fence. And Match Group? They’re zipped tight, not giving us even a peep.
But here’s a twist: Epic Games’ big boss, Tim Sweeney, hopped onto social media platform X (you might remember it as Twitter) dropping hints left and right. If Google’s playing fair, he’s all in for a friendly handshake. But if they’re still pocketing that ‘Google tax’? Well, buddy, it’s game on!
Ah, what a tangled web we weave. For those curious cats out there, the case to keep an eye on is In re Google Play Store Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 21-md-02981. Stay tuned for the next episode in this tech soap opera!
