Even with all the cognitive capabilities at their disposal, human beings remain prone as ever to making mistakes. Now, you can argue that these mistakes actually help us in becoming better over time, but we also must acknowledge how some of these mistakes can actually go on to cause irreparable damage along the way. With such a volatile possibility in front, any person would naturally want a defensive cover, and honestly, they’ll get one when we bring dedicated regulatory bodies into the fold. Having a well-defined authority across each and area was a game-changer, considering it wasted no time in compensating for a lot of our flaws. However, this utopia turned out to be pretty short-lived, and if we take a second and acknowledge the reason, we’ll notice how it all happened because of technology. You see, as soon as technology took over the scene, it made the world look vulnerable like never before, and certain people will do everything to exploit this loophole, while also avoiding the consequences for doing so. Fortunately, after getting overwhelmed at the beginning, the regulatory industry will make a strong comeback. The same is evident across many recent cases, and one lawsuit involving Google might be a small part of that very list.
Google has made a formal settlement offer of around $30 million to small app developers in relation to a lawsuit, which accused the tech giant of violating federal antitrust laws. According to the complaint, Google basically forced developers into using its in-house billing system that carried a sizeable 30% charge on all transactions. This will eventually get over 48,000 developers to team up and file an official lawsuit, and if the latest settlement offer is approved by the court, each one of them will now stand to earn a payment worth between $250 and $200,000. Apart from the $90 million, Google has also extended a special concession, which will start off with a new Indie Apps Corner that is going to “showcase independent and small startup developers building unique high-quality apps.” The company has even made a meaningful attempt at clarifying language in its Developer Distribution Agreement.
“Today, nearly 48,000 hardworking app developers are receiving the just payment they deserve for their work product — something Google sought to profit from, hand over fist,” said Steve Berman, managing director at Hages Berman, the law firm representing the plaintiffs. “With this settlement, developers will have more room to grow and more money in their pockets to promote their hard efforts.”
Interestingly, although this runner is pretty similar to a lawsuit involving Apple, both the cases failed to trigger any major policy change, meaning the wait for a proper solution is still on.