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A class-action lawsuit filed in London on behalf of consumers on Tuesday accused Google of abusing its dominant market position to impose excessive commissions on app developers, as the lawsuit seeking damages exceeding £1 billion ($1.33 billion) began.
This is the latest lawsuit filed in Britain against major tech companies, filed on behalf of about 20 million consumers who purchased apps via Google's Play Store or paid for in-app purchases and subscriptions between 2015 and July 2026.
Lawyers representing consumer rights advocate Liz Cole, who is leading the lawsuit, say Google exploited its dominant position to impose commissions of up to 30% on app purchases via the Play Store, as well as in-app purchases and subscriptions.
The lawyers say consumers felt these excessive commissions after app developers passed them on, citing an example when Google sold the YouTube Premium service through Apple's App Store, it also decided to charge consumers the imposed commission.
However, Alphabet, Google's parent company, is fighting a legal battle to dismiss the lawsuit, with a spokesperson arguing that the lawsuit ignores the volume of choices offered by the Android platform to consumers, and that it imposes "some of the lowest fees in the market".
The tech giant's lawyers, who said Cole's case is not based on any evidence, pointed out that the Play Store "faces strong competitive constraints from developers and consumers alike," including from Apple's App Store and other alternative platforms.
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