A U.S. judge in California on Monday allowed Alphabet’s case against Google to proceed as a class-action consumer class action against 21 million individuals who allege the company violated its anti-competitive laws. United States in the way they run the Google Play app store.
U.S. District Judge James Donato said in a 27-page order that the plaintiffs established the legal elements of “common ground” and other factors to form a class action lawsuit alleging illegal activities. anticompetitive business.
The class members are Google Play Store individual consumers in 12 states, including Ohio, Michigan, and Georgia, in addition to American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The case is part of a series of pending antitrust actions against Googleand state prosecutors in more than three dozen other states filed similar claims against Google last year. The newly certified class action plaintiffs’ attorneys are working with that state’s law enforcement agencies.
Nationwide, plaintiffs have determined total damages at $4.7 billion (approximately Rs 38,400).
Google has defended its Play Store businesses, denying claims in a lawsuit against Donato and others.
A Google spokesperson said Monday: “We’re evaluating the ruling and after that, we’ll evaluate our options.”
Corporate lawyers at US law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius on Monday did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
In arguing against the class-action certification, Google’s attorneys said the plaintiffs failed to show how they were harmed, an argument Donato has denied.
The group’s lead attorney at plaintiff Bartlit Beck’s firm declined to comment.
The group’s lawyers allege, among other things, that Google banned app developers from directing customers to competitors and used “misleading warnings to prevent customers from downloading apps outside of the Store.” Google Play store.”
They state that “but for Google’s anticompetitive behavior, plaintiffs and class members will pay lower prices for apps and in-app purchases and will benefit from open choice.” wide.”
A trial is scheduled to begin in June 2023.
© Thomson Reuters 2022
