A jury in San Jose, California, has ruled that Google must pay over $314.6 million to Android smartphone users in the state for misusing their mobile data.
The lawsuit, filed in 2019, accused Google of collecting and transferring data from idle Android devices without users’ permission, calling it a “mandatory and unavoidable burden” placed on users for Google’s benefit.
The case, brought on behalf of about 14 million California residents, claimed that Google used the data for purposes like targeted advertising, while the data usage costs were shouldered by users. The jury found that Google was liable for this unauthorized data collection.
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said the company would appeal the decision, arguing that the verdict “misunderstands services that are critical” to Android’s performance and security. However, the plaintiffs’ attorney Glen Summers said the ruling “forcefully vindicates the case and reflects the seriousness of Google’s misconduct.”
A similar class-action lawsuit covering Android users in the other 49 U.S. states is still pending in federal court, with a trial set for April 2026.
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