Google Fined: New Court Rulings in California

On Tuesday, July 1, a jury in California decided that Google improperly used user data, leading to a fine of $314.6 million to be paid to Android smartphone owners in the state. This was reported by Reuters.

The plaintiffs complained that Google was responsible for sending and receiving data from devices without consent while they were inactive. The lawsuit described this as a "necessary burden borne by Android users for the benefit of Google".

A Google representative stated that the company would appeal the jury's decision, asserting that the verdict "misunderstands the services that are critical for the safety, performance, and reliability of Android devices".

The plaintiffs' attorney remarked that the verdict "strongly affirms the validity of this case and reflects the seriousness of Google's misconduct".

The class action lawsuit was filed in 2019 on behalf of approximately 14 million Californians. It claimed that Google collected information from inactive Android smartphones, using cellular data without users' knowledge.

In response, Google stated that no Android users were harmed by the data transmission and that users consented to this in the company's terms of service and privacy policy.

A similar lawsuit was also filed by another group of Android users from the other 49 states of the USA, with the case set to be heard in April 2026.