Consumers may be eligible for payments in Google settlement

CONCORD — Customers may be eligible to claim their share of a $700 million settlement with Google secured by a coalition of state attorneys general, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella shared in a media release.

Preliminary approval has been granted, triggering the court’s notice and approval process, he wrote in the release on Thursday. 

If the court approves the settlement at a hearing on April 30, 2026, the majority of settlement funds will be distributed to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023, and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive conduct. Google will also make changes to its anticompetitive practices that harmed consumers and application developers. 

Starting on Dec. 2, 2025, consumers who met the criteria began receiving notices about the distribution process for the settlement funds. 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, in most cases, no claim form is required.

“Granite Staters deserve a fair and competitive digital marketplace,” Formella wrote. “This settlement both compensates consumers who were harmed and requires Google to stop the anticompetitive conduct that caused those harms. We want to ensure that New Hampshire residents know what to expect and how to receive the payments they are entitled to. The settlement website linked below is the best place for consumers to receive information.”

When the settlement is 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 phone number associated with their Google Play account. If that email address or phone number is also associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, the payment will be made directly to that account.

If that email address or phone number does not match one associated with a PayPal or Venmo account, consumers will have the option to create a new account or direct the payment to another PayPal or Venmo account.

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 who 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.

Consumers who would like to be notified by email when the supplemental claims process begins can submit their name, email address and mobile phone number at googleplaystateagantitrustlitigation.com.

For consumers who do not want to receive a payment from the settlement fund and want to bring their own case against Google, they must submit a request to be excluded online at googleplaystateagantitrustlitigation.com, or in writing, by Feb. 19, 2026. Consumers who want to object to the settlement can file a written objection by Feb. 19, 2026. The court will hold a hearing on April 30, 2026, to consider approval of the settlement. 

To file a complaint with the New Hampshire Department of Justice, call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 888-468-4454, or visit doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints.