Google has started compensating Israeli consumers following a class action settlement over its Play Store subscription policies.

The total compensation from the settlement amounts to 46.5 million shekels (US$13.1 million).

The lawsuit, initiated in 2017 by Mordechai Malachi, claimed Google misled users about auto-renewing subscription policy.

Malachi said that when he purchased a subscription in 2016, the auto-renewal terms were not clearly disclosed. At the end of the year, he was charged again, and despite canceling the same day, his refund request was denied.

In September 2024, the Central District Court in Lod approved the settlement, granting eligible users 55% refunds of their subscription fees.  For those who canceled subscriptions early receive a one-time 25% compensation.

Furthermore, Google has agreed to improve transparency around auto-renewals and enable immediate subscription cancellations with proportional refunds.

The plaintiff, Malachi, will receive 1.9 million shekels (US$534,595), while attorneys will receive 8.06 million shekels (US$2.42 million) in legal fees.

Individual compensation amounts are anticipated to range from several dozen to a few hundred shekels per user.

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