A California jury has delivered a $314.6 million judgment against Google, finding the company liable for unauthorized data transfers from Android smartphones. The jury determined Google misused customer cellphone data by sending and receiving information from devices without permission while they were idle, a practice that unfairly benefited the company. This ruling reinforces consumer data rights.
The class action, filed in 2019, represented approximately 14 million Californians. The plaintiffs argued that Google collected data from inactive Android phones for its own corporate uses, such as targeted advertising, thereby incurring cellular data costs for users. This alleged unauthorized use was at the core of the legal challenge.
Google has declared its intention to appeal the verdict. Jose Castaneda, a company spokesperson, stated that the ruling “misunderstand services that are critical to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices.” Google’s appeal will likely argue for the legitimacy and necessity of its data collection methods.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Glen Summers called the verdict a “forceful vindication of the merits of this case and reflects the seriousness of Google’s misconduct.” This significant case could lead to greater scrutiny of data collection practices across the tech industry. Another similar lawsuit, representing Android users in 49 other states, is scheduled for trial in April 2026.
