A major class action trial against Google opened at London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal on October 6, 2026. The case accuses Google of charging excessive commissions through its Play Store and seeks more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in damages.
Independent consultant Liz Coll leads the action alongside law firm Hausfeld on behalf of approximately 20 million UK consumers and businesses. The lawsuit alleges that Google abused its dominant market position by imposing commissions of up to 30% on app purchases, subscriptions, and in-app digital content. As a result, the claim argues that UK Android users effectively overpaid for apps and digital goods purchased through the Play Store.
The case covers transactions made between October 1, 2015 and July 31, 2026. The trial is expected to run for seven weeks at the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Google has denied the allegations. The company stated that the Play Store offers “some of the lowest fees in the market.” Additionally, Google argued that “Android gives people more choice than any other mobile platform in deciding which apps and app stores they use.” The company pledged to “defend our services vigorously.”
However, claimants counter that Google actively undermines alternative distribution methods. They argue that technical and contractual restrictions make the Play Store the only realistic route for reaching UK Android users.
This is not Google’s only legal challenge in the UK. A separate class action brought by app developers also proceeded to trial in late September 2026. Professor Barry Rodger of Strathclyde University Law School leads that case, which similarly seeks over £1 billion. “Many small businesses have had little realistic choice but to use Google Play Store to reach Android customers,” Rodger stated. “The cost of doing so, we believe, was excessive and unfair.”
Meanwhile, Google previously settled a similar UK developer dispute for £260 million, with £160 million allocated as direct compensation. Apple also lost a comparable lawsuit in late 2025, with damages estimated at over £1.5 billion still to be determined.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority is separately investigating Google’s app store practices. Regulatory action against the company is also ongoing in the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, and India.
