Google has agreed to pay $135 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of collecting cellular data from Android users without consent, even when apps were closed, location sharing was disabled, and phone screens were locked.
According to court filings in San Jose, California, eligible Android users could receive up to $100 each as part of the proposed settlement. The lawsuit covers users who owned Android devices dating back to November 12, 2017.
As part of the agreement, Google has also committed to clearer user controls, including making it easier to stop cellular data transfers, requesting explicit consent during device setup, and providing better disclosures in Google Play’s terms of service.
While Google agreed to the settlement, the company denied any wrongdoing. The move follows another recent settlement involving allegations that Google Assistant recorded users without permission, adding to ongoing scrutiny around the company’s data-collection practices.
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