Google faces UK court over app store charges

A class action lawsuit against Google has opened in London, accusing the technology giant of earning excessive commissions from its app store. The plaintiffs claim that Google abused its dominant position, impacting 20 million UK consumers and businesses. They are seeking more than £1 billion in damages, according to the New Straits Times.

The case concerns purchases made on the Google Play Store in the UK between October 1, 2015 and July 31, 2026. The plaintiffs, led by independent consultant Liz Coll and law firm Hausfeld, argue that Google's cut of up to 30 per cent on almost all purchases through the Play Store was unfair and excessive.

Google has defended its services, stating that the Play Store offers "some of the lowest fees in the market" and that Android gives people more choice than any other mobile platform. The company will defend itself vigorously against the lawsuit. A similar lawsuit against Apple was lost in late 2025, although the amount of damages is yet to be decided.

Brief written by urgent.news from Economic Times Tech, New Straits Times — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.