Lawsuit on Google Play over ‘exorbitant fees’ grows to 21 million users

Google now faces more than 21 million customers, instead of just a handful, in a lawsuit alleging its app store collects exorbitant fees.

A federal judge exponentially increased the Alphabet Inc. unit’s damages exposure by granting class-action status Monday in a suit alleging that Google Play has abused its power over the sale and distribution of Android mobile applications.

The consumer dispute is part of a sprawling antitrust fight that also includes complaints filed by attorneys general of almost three dozen states, Epic Games Inc., Match Group Inc. and a group of small app developers.

The actions threaten the billions of dollars in revenue generated by Google Play, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jennifer Rie.