GILLETTE, Wyo. -- Wyoming Attorney General Keith Kautz is advising residents to check out new information and instructions regarding the possibility of receiving funds from a $700 million antitrust settlement from Google.
Kautz announced on Tuesday that a coalition of 53 attorneys general has received key judicial approval of the settlement, which was granted on Nov. 20. If the settlement is approved by the court, at a hearing being held on April 30, 2026, the majority of the settlement funds will be distributed to consumers who paid for apps on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and who were harmed by Google's anticompetitive conduct.
Additionally, Google will make changes to stop its anticompetitive practices that harmed consumers and app developers alike.
"Beginning December 2, 2025, consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by Google's anticompetitive practices began receiving notices about the distribution process for the settlement funds," a release from the assistant attorney general states. "Most affected consumers do not need to take further action to receive a payment from the settlement fund. The settlement fund will make the majority of payments automatically, and no claim form is necessary in most cases."
Once the settlement has been approved by the court, consumers will receive an email from PayPal or a text from Venmo notifying them of their incoming payment at the email address of mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account.
If that email address or phone number is also tied to a PayPal or Venmo account, the payment will be made directly to said account. If the email address or phone number does not match an email address or phone number associated with the PayPal or Venmo account, then consumers have the option to create a new account or direct the payment to an already existing PayPal or Venmo account at a different email address or phone number.
There will also be a supplemental claims process after automatic payments go out, for customers who:
Consumers who want to be notified by email when the supplemental claims process starts may submit their name, email address and phone number directly to the settlement website.
Kautz is encouraging all affected consumers to keep track of important upcoming dates in the settlement approval process:
In addition to Wyoming's attorney general, attorneys general from all 49 other states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, were part of the coalition that secured this settlement.