Google faces £1.2 billion U.K. trial over Play Store fees

The U.K. trial represents a significant escalation in the global challenge to mobile storefront monetization models that streaming services rely on for in-app subscriptions. If the tribunal finds Google's 30% cut excessive, it could force a fundamental restructuring of how digital content is priced and distributed on Android devices. This case mirrors ongoing friction involving Apple and Epic Games, signaling a broader shift toward mandatory third-party billing options and lower commission caps across the ecosystem. Industry observers should monitor the U.K. Court of Appeal's upcoming decision on Apple's fee structure, which will likely set the precedent for this £1.2 billion claim.

The U.K. class action against Google's Play Store commission structure arrives amid a wave of parallel regulatory and judicial proceedings targeting app store billing practices across multiple jurisdictions. In September 2025, a U.S. federal judge upheld a jury verdict requiring Google to open the Play Store to third-party app stores and alternative payment systems, a decision stemming from Epic Games' 2023 antitrust trial. That ruling, which Google is appealing, mandates that the company allow sideloading and permit developers to direct users to external payment options for three years, directly challenging the closed-loop billing model at the center of the U.K. claim.

Apple faces analogous scrutiny that could influence the tribunal's reasoning on Google Play Store fees. The U.K. Competition Appeal Tribunal is separately hearing a £1.5 billion class action against Apple over its App Store commission, brought by former Which? chief executive Rachael Kent on behalf of approximately 20 million U.K. iPhone and iPad users. The Apple case covers the period from 2009 to 2024 and alleges that the company's 30% commission constituted an abuse of dominant position. A ruling in that matter is expected to establish precedent for how U.K. courts assess the reasonableness of platform commission rates, which would directly inform the Google proceedings.

Epic Games, the plaintiff in the U.S. case that produced the Play Store remedy order, has expanded its legal campaign against app store fees by filing complaints with the European Commission and national regulators in multiple EU member states, arguing that both Apple and Google violate the Digital Markets Act by maintaining restrictive billing and distribution terms. The DMA, which took full effect in March 2024, requires gatekeeper platforms to permit alternative payment systems and third-party app distribution, creating a regulatory floor that the UK lawmaker urges CMA app store regulation may reference when evaluating whether Google's 30% commission was excessive during the 2015 to 2026 claim period.