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Google just got handed a massive multi-state antitrust lawsuit over Play Store fees
It's only the latest in a long line of Google's ongoing legal woes
The mobile market has been hemming and hawing over the cuts that Google and Apple take for distributing mobile apps ever since Epic made its big stink over Fortnite last year. It looks like that story is having a domino effect, as a new lawsuit against Google has been filed in United States federal court. No less than thirty-six states and the District of Columbia, representing more than half the country, are suing Google for monopolistic practices.
Venmo isn't the only digital payment platform that wants a bigger slice of the pie. Its owner PayPal is getting in on the action, with a widespread change of its rates set to go into effect on August 2nd. Barring a few small adjustments to currency exchange and charity rates, almost all of these are increases in processing fees. Most notably, the standard PayPal checkout merchant fee will increase from 30 cents plus 2.9% to 49 cents plus 3.49%.
Two days ago, Google unveiled new licensing terms for Android phones and tablets in the European Union, following the EU's record $5 billion fine. Device manufacturers can now sell phones with heavily-modified builds of Android while also producing normal Android devices with the Play Store, and some apps (like Chrome and Google Search) are now separate licenses. According to a report from The Verge, device makers are still strongly incentivized to ship Search and Chrome, or they could pay as much as $40 per device for access to the Play Store.
T-Mobile's allegedly revolutionary ONE Unlimited plan has been met with a lot of skepticism thanks to its oxymoronic limitations on streaming video and tethering, plus new tiers of service that undermine the idea of a "single" data plan for everyone. Even so, CEO John Legere said that the company is "doubling down" on the ONE plan. In his typical bombastic and profanity-laden style, Legere announced that starting January 22nd, T-Mobile will only offer the ONE Unlimited plan to new post-paid customers. That's $70 for talk, text, and "unlimited" data for the first line, $120 for two lines, and $20 for each line after. That includes a $5 discount for auto-paying customers.
Those of you who switch smartphones often have probably heard of Swappa, an online marketplace that people buy and sell mobile technology on. In the past few months, Swappa has been expanding to offer options to sell devices such as VR headsets, Chromebooks, and MacBooks. Now, for the first time since its launch back in 2010, the site is raising its sales fees.
Update: Well that didn't take long. Here's what T-Mobile had to say in response.
Un-carrier Day 3 Of 3: T-Mobile Does Away With Overage Charges, Starts Change.org Petition For Others To Do The Same
T-Mobile is trying to shape the future of mobile calling.
T-Mobile introduced a whirlwind of changes last year as it rebranded itself as the "Un-carrier," with perhaps its most substantial shift being the decision to forgo annual contracts, breaking away from a long-standing practice among carriers in the US. Now the company is doing away with another perpetual mobile pain in the rear by eradicating its domestic overage charges. This applies regardless of whether you're on a Simple Choice plan, the new Simple Starter, or an older plan - and it will take place starting in May, with those bills arriving in June.
European Union To End Roaming Fees In Summer 2014 For EU Carriers
Starting in July 2014, Europeans will be free of burdensome roaming charges as they travel across the European Union's 27 member states. This comes after
Starting in July 2014, Europeans will be free of burdensome roaming charges as they travel across the European Union's 27 member states. This comes after officials voted to terminate such fees for voice calls, text messages, and internet access as part of a move to create a single European telecoms market. This is great news for French citizens hopping across the border to Germany, but it will have no impact on tourists from outside of the continent. Americans, for example, will still have their roaming fees determined by their carriers back home.