Bay Area

California Attorney General Announces $700 Million Multistate Settlement Agreement with Google

On Tuesday morning, in downtown San Francisco, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that Google has agreed to a $700 million settlement with Google for monopolizing the Android application market. The multistate, bipartisan settlement is a rare victory for two sides of the political aisle that often cannot agree on much, Bonta emphasized at the conference, but they were all in fast agreement to fight for changes and restitution for the impacted consumers.

Published

2 years ago

December 26, 2023

Magaly Muñoz

California Attorney General Rob Bonta stands with his legal team at a press conference on Tuesday, December 19 to announce a $700 million settlement with Google for anti-competitive practices in their Play Store. Photo by Magaly Muñoz

By Magaly Muñoz

On Tuesday morning, in downtown San Francisco, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that Google has agreed to a $700 million settlement with Google for monopolizing the Android application market.

The multistate, bipartisan settlement is a rare victory for two sides of the political aisle that often cannot agree on much, Bonta emphasized at the conference, but they were all in fast agreement to fight for changes and restitution for the impacted consumers.

Google will pay $630 million to over 100 million Android consumers to compensate for the high prices they charged for digital transactions in Google Play Store. The minimum payouts will range from $2 or more to those who were harmed by Google’s anti-competitive market practices between August 2016 to September.

“They made it extremely difficult for consumers to have options, for consumers to have options that would reduce price and they essentially effectively maintained a monopoly,” Bonta said.

Google will also pay out $70 million to the states in penalties, costs and fees.

The lawsuit, State of Utah et al. v. Google LLC, alleged that Google signed anti-competitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being preloaded on Android devices, bought off key app developers who might have launched rival app stores to the Google Play store, and created technological barriers to deter consumers from directly downloading apps to their devices.

In addition to the payouts, the settlement requires Google to cease its anti-competitive operations and make changes in their market conduct for injunctive relief. The changes include giving developers the ability to allow users to make payments through in-app billing systems other than Play Billing for a minimum of five years; allow for the installation of third-party apps on Android phones from sources outside the Google Play Store for at least seven years; maintain Android system support for third-party app stores, including allowing automatic updates, for four years; and many more changes.

The settlement also stipulates that Google must provide compliance reports to an independent monitor who will verify that the company is not continuing its anti-competitive behavior for at least five years. Bonta is confident that Google will comply with all the changes specified in the settlement, and if they don’t, legal action will be taken.

Other state attorneys general shared their views on the big win against Google and its anti-competitive behavior.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement that Google has to make right for the harm it cost their Android consumers.

“Every company is required to play by the rules, from the smallest of mom-and-pop shops to the biggest brands on the planet, and this settlement demonstrates that principle as clear as day,” Rosenblum said.

In a statement Tuesday morning, New York Attorney General Letitia James condemned the market abuse that Google established to raise prices and block app developers from fairly selling their products in the Play Store.

“No company, no matter how large or powerful, is allowed to corner a market and use its influence to overcharge consumers and smother competition,” James said.

But this is not the first time the Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken a stand against Big Tech.

In September, the state secured a $93 million settlement with Google for violating California’s consumer protection laws, where they misled users by collecting and using their location data for consumer profiling and advertising purposes without obtaining informed consent.

In October, a lawsuit was filed against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, by over 30 states alleging that their apps are harming the mental health of children who are becoming addicted to their platforms.

“Today’s settlement, as well as our active lawsuits send a clear message to not just Google but to all corporations doing business in California: If you use your power to illegally bend the market at the expense of consumers, small business owners and the economy, we’ll hold you accountable. We’ll see you in court,” Bonta said.

The attorney general would not comment on whether they would go after Apple, which has been accused of trying to stifle competition in the app market, but he shared that the settlement with Google could serve as a model for “other app stores” including those headquartered in California, such as Apple.

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper.

Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities.

The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper. Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

1 week ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.