The Office of the Utah Attorney General, working with the Utah Department of Commerce, has taken a leadership role in three significant lawsuits against Google to ensure fair competition and protect the public from anticompetitive practices. These cases target Google’s unlawful use of its dominance in critical digital markets, including app distribution, in-app payments, and advertising technology.
For years, Google has leveraged its market power to stifle competition and harm consumers. Utah, alongside other states and federal partners, is committed to restoring fairness and transparency in these markets through aggressive enforcement and meaningful remedies.
Utah led a bipartisan coalition of 52 attorneys general that secured a $700 million antitrust settlement with Google over anticompetitive conduct on the Google Play Store. In Utah v. Google, it was alleged that Google:
The settlement received preliminary court approval on November 20, 2025, beginning the process to return funds to consumers harmed between August 2016 and September 2023.
Google has already paid $630 million into the settlement fund. Most eligible consumers do not need to take any action to receive a payment. After final court approval, payments will be issued automatically through PayPal or Venmo using the email address or phone number connected to the consumer’s Google Play account.
Consumers who do not receive an automatic payment, no longer have access to their account information, or choose not to use PayPal or Venmo will have access to a supplemental claims process. Key deadlines include February 19, 2026, to opt out of the settlement or file an objection, and a final court approval hearing scheduled for April 30, 2026.
Utah also sued Google for its domination in the markets for general search services and search advertisements. A federal court eventually found that Google had monopolized these markets and entered an order barring Google from:
The court also ordered Google to provide critical data to qualified rivals and syndicate some of its services, opening the market to new, innovative competitors.
The third lawsuit targets Google’s advertising technology business, alleging that Google:
These lawsuits aim to keep our marketplace functioning and allow the public and businesses to not be overpowered by Big-Tech. These cases curb monopolistic practices, foster innovation, and protect consumers from inflated costs and reduced choices. Utah remains committed to ensuring a fair and competitive digital economy.
