\n<\/p>\n
Match Group and Google announced a settlement on Tuesday in Match\u2019s lawsuit against the company. The last-minute decision leaves Google scheduled to go up against Fortnite <\/em>publisher Epic Games alone in an antitrust trial<\/a> that starts next week, with Epic alleging that Google Play\u2019s payment policies are anticompetitive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Match sued Google in May 2022<\/a>, alleging the company \u201cillegally monopolized the market\u201d for app distribution with Google Play and imposed an \u201cextortionate tax\u201d with the fees it takes from transactions on the marketplace. Its claims dovetailed with an existing complaint from Epic<\/a> as well as a coalition of state attorneys general. Google and the states announced their own settlement<\/a> in September.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Under the terms of this latest settlement, $40 million in escrow will be returned to Match, according to Match\u2019s Q3 2023 letter to shareholders<\/a>. By March 31st, 2024, Match\u2019s apps will implement Google\u2019s user choice billing system<\/a>, meaning Match will give Google an 11 percent cut of subscriptions and a 26 percent cut of purchases made using Match\u2019s own payment systems or <\/em>will owe Google its standard fees for transactions that use Google\u2019s in-app purchase system. The parties also filed a voluntary notice<\/a> for dismissal of the suit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Match spokesperson Vidhya Murugesan declined to comment beyond what was included in Match\u2019s letter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe are pleased to reach a settlement agreement with Match Group,\u201d Google spokesperson Danielle Cohen says in a statement to The Verge<\/em>. \u201cThis ensures we can continue to provide our shared users the secure, seamless and high quality experience people expect from apps on Google Play while maintaining Google\u2019s ability to invest in the Android ecosystem and deliver value across an app\u2019s full lifecycle.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On X, formerly Twitter, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said that his company<\/a> \u201cwill go to trial against Google alone\u201d and that \u201cwe reject Google\u2019s so-called \u2018user choice billing,\u2019 in which Google controls, surveils, and taxes transactions between users and developers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Coalition for App Fairness, an organization it spearheaded alongside Epic, didn\u2019t immediately reply to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Update October 31st, 6:23PM ET<\/strong>: Match declined to comment.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n