US states allege Google 'unlawfully' preserves Play Store monopoly

Google's Play Store

* Latest case aimed at forcing more competition on Android * States point to ‘enormous profit margins’ for Play Store * Case alleges Google intended to pay Samsung not to compete * Google says case seeks to benefit big developers Thirty-seven US state and district attorneys general sued Alphabet Inc's Google on Wednesday, alleging that it bought off competitors and used restrictive contracts to unlawfully maintain a monopoly for its app store on Android phones. The allegations about Google's Play Store stem from an investigation involving nearly every US state that began in September 2019 and have already resulted in three other lawsuits against the company. The cases threaten to force major changes to how it generates billions of dollars in revenue across its businesses, including advertising, in-app purchases and smart home gadgets. Google said on Wednesday the litigation was about boosting a handful of major app developers that want preferential treatment rather than about helping small businesses or consumers. It maintains that unlike Apple Inc with its App Store on iPhones, Android supports competitors to the Play Store.