Connecticut is part of a multi-state $700 million dollar antitrust settlement with Google.
A group of states had accused the giant online company of using its Android app store to stifle competition and charge high fees on purchases made through its Play Store.
Details of the deal were announced Tuesday.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said until now, if you had an Android phone and you wanted to download an app, you had to go through Google’s Play Store.
"Google has dominated that space through restrictive contracts, through technological barriers, and basically, 'You play by our rules or you don't play at all,'" Tong said. "And that impacts customer choice, app choice, and price."
Tong says under the provisions of the settlement, Google will allow more competition to its Play Store. Most of the money Google is paying will be sent back to customers who made purchases on their phones or other devices through the Play Store.
It was not immediately clear how much of the money would go to customers in Connecticut.
Eligible consumers will receive at least $2, according to the settlement, and may get additional payments based on their spending on the Play store between Aug. 16, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2023. The estimated 102 million U.S. consumers who made in-app purchases during that time frame are supposed to be automatically notified about various options for how they can receive their cut of the money.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
