Google Agrees $135 Million Android Data Settlement for 100 Million Users, With June 23 Hearing
Updated
Updated · CNET · May 21
Google Agrees $135 Million Android Data Settlement for 100 Million Users, With June 23 Hearing
4 articles · Updated · CNET · May 21
$135 million is at stake in Google’s preliminary settlement of a U.S. class action alleging Android devices sent data to Google without permission and consumed users’ cellular plans.
June 23 is the final approval hearing, with objections due by May 29; eligible users can already choose payment methods on the settlement website, though payouts await court approval and any appeals.
Up to 100 million U.S. Android users may qualify if they used a device with a cellular plan from Nov. 12, 2017 until final approval and were not part of the separate California-only Csupo case.
Individual payments are not fixed but are capped at $100, while Google also agreed to revise Play terms, seek setup consent for passive transfers, and stop collection when background data usage is turned off.
The deal follows a separate California settlement last year in which Google agreed to pay $314 million over similar Android data-harvesting claims.
Will Google's new terms truly stop hidden data usage, or is this just another legal loophole?
Is a $135M settlement a real penalty or just the cost of doing business for a trillion-dollar company?
If background data collection is an 'industry standard,' which other apps on your phone might be costing you money?