Google agreed to pay $700 million to settle a lawsuit launched by a group of US states which alleged the company had engaged in anticompetitive behaviour by quashing rivals to its app Play Store.

Court filings seen by the Financial Times showed Google will pay around $630 million into a fund reserved for consumers and another $70 million to the states directly.

The technology giant has also said it will make concessions to its current practices, including changing the way its Android system works in the US by allowing developers to implement an alternative billing method for purchases within an app. It will also make it easier for consumers to download apps on Android devices from other sources other than its Play Store.

While the settlement figure still requires approval from the California federal judge overseeing the lawsuit, it will likely bring an end to a case first filed in 2021. In total 37 plaintiffs accused Google of charging a 30 per cent commission on in-app purchases and buying off competitors to maintain its dominance.

“The negotiated terms will offer significant, meaningful, long-lasting relief for consumers throughout the country,” read the court filing.

Google moved to ease the pressure it faces on its billing practices in other markets earlier this year, proposing to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) it would offer developers the ability to use a different payment system of their choosing.

Notably, it was also forced to change its policy in South Korea in 2021.