Business • Jul 02, 2025

Google fined $314 million in data misuse lawsuit

A California jury just ordered Google to pay over $314 million to about 14 million Android users.
The lawsuit said Google was quietly gathering cellular data from people's phones—even when they weren't using them—for targeted ads, which ended up costing users money without their say.

TL;DR

Google to appeal the decision

Google insists it did nothing wrong, arguing that users agreed to data collection in the terms of service and that some background data is needed for device security.
They're planning to appeal the decision, saying the court misunderstood how Android works.
This case spotlights bigger questions about user privacy and could shape how tech companies handle your data nationwide—especially with a similar federal case coming up in 2026.