Google faces UK class action lawsuit over Play Store fees

A class action lawsuit against Google has reached London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, representing approximately 20 million consumers. The legal action, led by consumer advocate Liz Coll, alleges that Google abused its dominant position within the Android ecosystem by charging app developers commissions of up to 30% on digital purchases, subscriptions, and in-app content between 2015 and July 2026.

Lawyers argue that these high commission fees were passed down to consumers through increased prices for apps and services. As an example, the filings cited YouTube Premium pricing on Apple’s App Store, noting that Google increased costs to account for Apple’s commission. The lawsuit seeks compensation estimated between $1.32 billion and $1.59 billion (£1 billion to £1.2 billion).

Alphabet Inc. is contesting the lawsuit, arguing that the claim lacks evidence and ignores the competitive landscape. A spokesperson for Google stated that the Android platform provides developers with various distribution options and that Google Play maintains some of the lowest fees in the market, facing significant competition from Apple’s App Store and other alternative platforms.