A legal action seeking more than £1 billion in damages from Google on behalf of millions of consumers over alleged "hidden charges" on Play Store app sales has gone to trial in the UK.
The class action is being brought on behalf of approximately 20 million UK consumers and businesses who made purchases on the Google Play Store or via an Android phone between October 1 2015 and July 31 2026.
Proceedings began on Tuesday in the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).
The claim alleges that Google broke competition law by imposing a commission of up to 30 per cent on app developers for purchases made through its Play Store, with this added cost being passed onto consumers through higher prices.
Included within the claim are paid-for apps, subscription payments for services such as dating, fitness, music and gaming apps, as well as upgrades to unlock ad-free features or versions.
It also covers in-game extra purchases such as coins, gems, extra lives and power-ups bought by users.
For instance, if a Candy Crush player spent £10 on gold bars to buy extra lives and power-ups, Google retained £3 of that payment for most of the claim period while passing £7 to the maker of the game.
The legal action alleges that this £3 deduction was passed onto players via higher retail prices.
Google claims its Play Store offers some of the lowest fees available in the market and maintains that it will defend its services "vigorously".
A spokesman said: "Android gives people more choice than any other mobile platform in deciding which apps and app stores they use, with Play offering some of the lowest fees in the market.
"This lawsuit ignores that choice as well as the competitive market in which we operate, and we will defend our services vigorously."
The action is being brought to court by Liz Coll, a consumer tech policy expert and former manager at charity Citizens Advice, and is represented by law firm Hausfield.
Although legal proceedings were first launched in 2021, the case faced delays as separate claims were settled, including an agreement by Google’s owner Alphabet to pay £260 million in September to resolve a class action on behalf of UK app developers.
Last year, a similar legal claim against Apple was won after the CAT determined that the firm had abused its dominant market position by charging a commission of roughly 30 per cent on app sales and in-app purchases.
Liz Coll said: "Millions of us have paid for apps, games and subscriptions on our phones without knowing a hidden charge was built into the price.
"This trial is about getting that money back for people who use their phone and apps every day."
Lesley Hannah, a partner at Hausfield, said: "Google has been able to use its position in the market to charge an excessive commission for well over a decade.
"And it’s the consumer that has paid the price."
