San Jose jury fines Google $314.6 million over Android data misuse in California
A San Jose jury has ordered Google to pay $314.6 million to Android users in California, ruling that the company unlawfully collected and used customer phone data without consent — even when devices were idle.
The class-action lawsuit, originally filed in 2019 on behalf of 14 million California residents, accused Google of imposing an “unavoidable and mandatory burden” by transferring user data for its own benefit, including targeted advertising and other uses, all while consuming users’ mobile data, according to news agencies.
Plaintiffs argued that this covert data harvesting occurred without user knowledge or permission, while Google insisted the data transfers were covered under its privacy policy and necessary for device performance and security. The company also claimed users had consented to this data collection in its terms of service.
Following the verdict, Google announced plans to appeal the ruling. Company spokesperson Jose Castaneda said the decision “misunderstands services essential to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices.”
Plaintiffs’ attorney Glenn Summers hailed the decision as a “strong validation” of the seriousness of Google’s conduct.
Unless overturned on appeal, the fine will be distributed among the affected Android users in California. Meanwhile, similar lawsuits have been filed on behalf of Android users in the other 49 U.S. states, with a federal trial in San Jose scheduled for April next year.
