Google hit with $315M penalty over Android data scandal
What's the story
Google has been slapped with a whopping $314.6 million penalty for allegedly harvesting data from Android phone users in California. The ruling by a jury in San Jose, California, found that Alphabet's Google had been sending and receiving information from idle Android phones without user consent. This practice was said to have imposed "mandatory and unavoidable burdens shouldered by Android device users for Google's benefit."
Appeal lodged
Google plans to appeal
In response to the ruling, Google has announced its intention to appeal. Jose Castaneda, a spokesperson for the tech giant, said that the jury's decision "misunderstands services that are critical to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices." He emphasized that these data transfers are essential for maintaining billions of Android devices globally and consume less cellular data than sending a single photo.
Lawsuit details
Lawsuit filed in 2019
The class action lawsuit was filed in 2019 on behalf of at least 14 million Californians. The plaintiffs alleged that Google collected data from idle Android phones for targeted advertising, without user consent or benefit. A separate lawsuit with similar claims is pending in federal court for Android users in the other 49 states, set to go to trial in April 2026.
User consent
Google's defense in court
Google defended itself in court by saying that no harm was done to Android users by these data transfers. The company argued that users had agreed to them through its terms of service and privacy policies. However, the plaintiffs' lawyer Glen Summers said the verdict "forcefully vindicates the merits of this case and reflects the seriousness of Google's misconduct."