Google has recently been hit with a class action lawsuit in California, on behalf of around 14 million residents, over allegations of Android phones collecting and transmitting data to Google servers while idle. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, sought damages of $800 million, and the jury has now ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding them $314.6 million.
According to the lawsuit, Android phones were found to be collecting user data for targeted advertising purposes and transmitting it to Google's servers using cellular data, at the expense of the phone owners. Google has stated that it plans to appeal the verdict, as it believes that users consented to these data transfers when agreeing to Google's terms of service and privacy policies.
Despite Google's claims that users were not harmed by these data transfers, the jury found in favor of the plaintiffs. A spokesperson for Google has stated that the verdict "misunderstands services that are critical to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices." Another lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Android users from the remaining 49 states, with the trial set to commence in April.
