GOOGLE REACHES TENTATIVE SETTLEMENT WITH ALL 50 STATES OVER ALLEGED APP STORE MONOPOLY

All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have reached an agreement in principle with Google to settle a lawsuit filed in 2021 over the tech giant's alleged monopolistic control of app distribution for the software that runs most of the world's cellphones.

The agreement, cited in a court filing reached Tuesday, is subject to approval by the plaintiffs' attorneys general and the board of directors of Google's parent company, execution of an agreement, and court approval.

The terms of the temporary pact bar the parties from disclosing its details for now, according to the Utah attorney general's office, a lead plaintiff in the bipartisan action.

"No company is too big to play by the rules, including Google. We brought this lawsuit because it is illegal to use monopoly power to drive up prices, New York's attorney general, Letitia James, said in a statement.

The states "fought for a fair marketplace that encourages competition, innovation, and lower prices for consumers," she said, and look forward to "finalizing the agreement and sharing more details in the next 30 days!"

Google spokesperson Peter Shottenfels said the company had "no comment at this time."

A trial date had been set for Nov. 6.