Google is set to go to trail in a £1bn lawsuit on behalf of thousands of UK app developers who claim to be overcharged when using Google Play Store.

The lawsuit was approved in May 2025 by the Competition Appeal Tribunal, allowing Professor Barry Rodger to file the case in an opt-out basis  on behalf of UK developers.

The claim alleges that Google abused its dominant market position as the main app distributor for Androids – technical and contractual restrictions the tech titan introduced have been said to limit competition, forcing UK app developers to use the Google Play store as there are little alternatives when reaching Android users.

Google will face claims that it used this dominant position to charge developers exessive commissions of up to 30% on their app sales, subscriptions, and in-app digital contnet.

The lawsuit will seek compensation of the revenue allegedly lost due to the Google’s dominance.

The claim will allege the a fair market would see UK app developers pay less to Google to use the Play Store to market their apps, but that Google instead charged unfair amounts, reducing revenue for developers.

This stifled revenue constricted the type of products developers and enterprises could create, how many people could be hired, and how much businesses could grow, Rodger alleges.

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“This is a significant moment for UK app developers,” Rodger said. “Many small businesses have had little realistic choice but to use Google Play Store to reach Android customers. The cost of doing so, we believe, was excessive and unfair.”

Google previously attempted to make the lawsuit opt-in, which would mean that developers would have to actively opt-in to receive compensation for the claim if it is successful. This was deenied by the Tribunal.

The case is set to go to trial on 28 September.