Google ordered to pay $314 million to Android users in California

A jury in San Jose has ordered Google to pay $314.6 million to Android smartphone users in California after finding the company misused customer cellphone data, The Guardian reports.

The class action lawsuit, filed in 2019, argued that Google collected data from idle Android devices without user permission. The plaintiffs claimed this data transfer created mandatory and unavoidable costs for Android users, as it consumed their cellular data for the benefit of Google’s operations, including targeted advertising.

The case covered an estimated 14 million Californians who used Android smartphones. Plaintiffs argued that while their devices were idle, Google continued to send and receive information, costing users money and depleting their data plans without their knowledge.

Google defended its practices in court, saying that users consented to data collection through its terms of service and privacy policies. The company also argued that no Android users were harmed by the data transfers.

This verdict only applies to Android users in California. A separate federal lawsuit making similar claims against Google on behalf of Android users in the other 49 states is scheduled for trial in April 2026.

Google plans to appeal the California ruling, setting up continued legal battles over how tech companies handle user data and what constitutes proper consent in the mobile era.