A California jury has ordered Google to pay $314.6 million after determining the tech giant secretly collected cellular data from Android users without their consent. The ruling caps a years-long legal battle accusing Google of exploiting idle devices to transmit information for advertising and mapping services.
The class-action lawsuit, filed in 2019 in San Jose federal court, covered roughly 14 million Android users in California. Jurors found that Google transferred user data—even when phones were not in use—violating the state’s privacy laws. Plaintiffs argued that these transmissions served no direct user function and were designed solely to bolster Google’s commercial products.
Google denied wrongdoing and stated it will appeal the verdict. Company representatives claimed users had agreed to the data collection through Google’s terms of service. They also argued that the transfers supported necessary phone functionality, security updates, and performance optimization.
Jurors rejected that defense. They concluded the company failed to obtain clear, affirmative consent from users for the collection and use of this specific type of cellular data. Court documents indicate that information continued to flow even when apps were closed and location services disabled.
The $314.6 million penalty could mark just the beginning. A separate national class-action suit involving Android users in the other 49 states is scheduled to go to trial in April 2026. That case seeks damages for similar alleged data collection practices, and legal experts believe it could result in even greater financial liability for the tech firm.
This verdict intensifies scrutiny on Big Tech’s data practices, particularly as lawmakers and regulators nationwide push for stronger consumer protections. Google, already under multiple antitrust investigations, faces mounting legal and public pressure over how it manages user information.
