A California jury has ruled that Google must pay $314 million to Android smartphone owners due to improper use of user data. The plaintiffs alleged that Google received and transmitted data even when the devices were not active. About this informs Reuters.
The lawsuit described the practice as a “mandatory and unavoidable burden borne by users of Android devices in favor of Google.”
Google has already announced its intention to appeal the decision, noting that the verdict “misunderstands services that are critical to the security, performance and reliability of Android devices.” Instead, the plaintiffs’ lawyer emphasized that the court’s decision “convincingly confirms the merits of this case and reflects the seriousness of Google’s illegal actions.”
The lawsuit was filed in 2019 on behalf of about 14 million California residents. It concerned the collection of information from inactive Android devices, which the plaintiffs allege took place without their consent and transmitted mobile data.
Google responded by saying that users had consented to such data transfers by accepting the terms of service and privacy policy, and that no one had been harmed. A separate, similar class-action lawsuit by Android users from the other 49 US states is also pending, with a hearing scheduled for April 2026.
