NC attorney general, others on Google settlement: ‘No company is too big to play by the rules’

RALEIGH – N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein joined a bipartisan group of attorneys general across the country in striking an agreement with Google over “anticompetitive conduct involving the Google Play Store.”

“No company is too big to play by the rules, including Google.,” said Stein in a joint statement. “We brought this lawsuit because it is illegal to use monopoly power to drive up prices. We appreciate this bipartisan group of Attorneys General who fought for a fair marketplace that encourages competition, innovation, and lower prices for consumers. We look forward to finalizing this agreement and sharing more details in the next 30 days.”

Stein’s office said he led the case along with AGs from Utah, Tennessee, New York and California.

States reach settlement with Google over control of app distribution

Responding to an inquiry from WRAL TechWire, a spokesperson for Stein said via email:

“A bipartisan group of 52 Attorneys General are pleased to announce an agreement with Google arising out of the company’s anticompetitive conduct involving the Google Play Store. Utah v. Google focuses on the company’s Play Store and alleges that Google harmed consumers by using its monopoly power in the Android app market to inflate prices for paid apps and in-app purchases. The agreement in principle will be finalized over the next 30 days and submitted to the court for approval, at which point the details will be made public.”