GOOGLE is being forced to pay over $300 million to users after a jury ruled the company misused customer data since 2016.
The class action lawsuit was filed in a California court alleging that Google was collecting user information without permission.
The verdict was released this month[/caption]
Google denies all wrongdoing, and plans to appeal the verdict[/caption]
Now, the Alphabet company is going to have to pay out $314.6 million to Android device users.
The lawsuit alleged that Google was collecting information — used for reasons like advertising — over cellular data even while phones were not in use.
It also claimed that cellular data was eaten up by the practices.
Google said in court that users did consent in the terms of service, and said no one was harmed in the data handovers.
The lawsuit, which was filed in 2019, was on behalf of 14 million Android users in California.
Another class action has also been filed for users across the rest of the country, set to go to trial in 2026.
Google told Reuters that they planned to appeal.
The decision “misunderstands services that are critical to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices,” the company said.
The lawsuit is for Californian users who owned a Google-licensed Android any time between Aug. 9, 2016, and the present, according to the class action’s website.
Glenn Summers, one of the plaintiff lawyers, said that the jury’s decision “sends a loud message to Google that it must actually honor its commitment to respect user choice and not just pay lip service to it,” according to Law360.
“The evidence at trial revealed that Google secretly collects a massive amount of information from Android smartphones, and needlessly consumes Android owners’ cellular data without their consent to do so.
“The evidence also revealed that for many years Google has known that Android settings which purport to allow users to turn off background mobile data usage are largely illusory and do not stop the transfers.”
ANOTHER LAWSUIT
Earlier this year, Google got hit with another hefty settlement price, racking up a $100 million bill for an advertiser class action.
The lawsuit began in 2011, lasting 14 years.
Who qualifies for the Android user settlement?
Here are the stipulations to be a part of the settlement.
- Be a resident of California
- Have owned a Google version of an Android some time between Aug. 9, 2016, and the present
- More information can be found by calling 1-844-440-3947
- Court documents can also be found by visiting here and typing 19CV352557 in the search bar for case numbers
Source: Cellular Data Class Action
The suit alleged that the company’s advertising company, once known as Google AdWords but now called Google Ads, breached contracts.
Advertisers claimed that the program did not limit their advertisements to locations they picked.
The settlement was for advertisers who had used Google Ads sometime between 2004-2012, according to Reuters.
Google denied wrongdoing in the case.
“This case was about ad product features we changed over a decade ago,” Google spokesperson told The Verge at the time.
“We’re pleased it’s resolved.”
The lawsuit is for California Android users only, but a new suit is going to trial next year for the other 49 states[/caption]
