Google loses $314 million lawsuit over data sent by idle Android phones

Google has been ordered to pay $314.6 million in damages after losing a class-action lawsuit in California that accused the tech giant of surreptitiously collecting user data from idle Android phones. The verdict marks a significant blow to the company’s defence of its data collection practices and could have broader implications for its operations across the United States.

The lawsuit, filed in 2019, represented around 14 million Android users in California. Plaintiffs alleged that Google’s Android system continued to collect and transmit user data even when phones were not in use. This data, primarily used for targeted advertising, was sent via cellular networks, effectively using customers’ data plans without their explicit consent.

The jury sided with the plaintiffs, awarding a total of $314.6 million in damages. The figure is notably close to the value of the mathematical constant pi, a detail that did not go unnoticed by observers online.

In response, Google has said it will appeal the decision. A company spokesperson stated that the verdict “misunderstands services that are critical to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices.” Google maintains that users were not harmed and that they had consented to such data transfers under the company’s terms of service and privacy policies.

A separate but related lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Android users across the other 49 US states.