07/07/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/07/2021 17:25 Attorney General Bonta Files Lawsuit Against Google for Anticompetitive Practices Related to Google Play Store OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a multistate lawsuit against Google for monopolizing the smartphone application market in violation of state and federal antitrust laws. Google, one of the world's largest companies, operates a web of exclusionary agreements with phone manufacturers and carriers to exert control over app distribution on Android phones through its Google Play Store. By leveraging those anticompetitive agreements, Google can demand a 30 percent cut from third-party app developers for using its Google Play Store and for in-app purchases, a captive market practice that raises prices for consumers and limits options for anyone using an Android mobile operating system. The 30 percent commission is ten times higher than competitive prices through third-party payment systems.