app distribution on Android

Apple got off lightly compared to Google’s recent day in court. In a “My bad, here’s some cash” move, Google’s digging into its sofa cushions for a spare $700 million to settle a lawsuit over its Play Store monopoly antics.

Of this, $630 million goes to U.S. consumers and a neat $70 million to U.S. states.

The search giant, once known for its “Do No Evil” motto, apparently didn’t extend that to app distribution on Android.

As part of the deal, Google’s also revamping its user choice billing program in the U.S., allowing developers more freedom in billing methods.

They’re even making sideloading (i.e., installing apps without Google’s blessing) less of a digital obstacle course.