Wisconsin DOJ Gives Consumers Instructions on Accessing $700 Million Google Settlement

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Justice is directing consumers’ attention to new information and instructions to receive funds from a $700 million settlement with Google secured by AG Kaul and a coalition of 52 other attorneys general.

The coalition secured this settlement in December 2023, and on November 20, 2025, the court granted preliminary approval, triggering the court’s notice and approval process. If the settlement is granted final approval by the court, at a hearing on April 30, 2026, most of the settlement funds will be distributed to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store from August 2016 to September 2023 and were impacted by Google’s alleged anticompetitive conduct. Google will also make changes to stop its alleged anticompetitive practices.

The suit alleged Google unlawfully maintained a monopoly over mobile app distribution and in-app payment processing for Android devices and used its monopoly power to charge consumers commissions of up to 30 percent for purchasing apps and making in-app purchases. The complaint alleged that Google’s anticompetitive conduct in the Google Play Store harmed consumers by depriving them of the potential benefits of true competition in mobile app distribution, such as better features, improved data security, and lower prices.

Beginning December 2, 2025, consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store from August 2016 to September 2023 and were affected by Google’s alleged anticompetitive practices began receiving notices about the distribution process for the settlement funds. Most affected consumers do not need to take further action to receive payment from the settlement fund. The settlement fund will make most 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 or mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account. If that email address or phone number is also associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then the payment will be made directly to that account. If that email address or phone number does not match an email address or phone number associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, then consumers have the option to create a new account or direct the payment to a PayPal or Venmo account at another email address or phone number.

There will be a supplemental claims process after the automatic payments process is complete for consumers who either:

• Do not have an existing PayPal or Venmo account and do not want to sign up for PayPal or Venmo;
• No longer have access to the email address or mobile phone number associated with their Google Play account; or
• Were expecting to receive a payment but did not.

If consumers would like to be notified by email when the supplemental claims process starts, they may submit their name, email address, and mobile phone number on the settlement website.

Wisconsin DOJ encourages all affected consumers to keep track of important upcoming dates in the settlement approval process:

• Consumers who do not want to receive payment from the settlement fund and want to bring their own case against Google must submit a request to be excluded online or in writing by February 19, 2026.
• Consumers who want to object to the settlement can file a written objection by February 19, 2026.
• The court will hold a hearing on April 30, 2026, to consider whether to approve the settlement.

The attorneys general of the following states joined AG Kaul in securing this settlement: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.