Google Wins Preliminary Approval for $135 Million Android Data Settlement

14 articles · Updated · CNET · May 24

$135 million in settlement funds moved a step closer to payout after a court preliminarily approved Google's deal over claims Android secretly used customers' paid cellular data to transmit information.
The suit alleges Google began the practice in 2017, kept collecting data even when users disabled location tracking or closed apps, and gave no opt-out; Google denied wrongdoing and called the claims a mischaracterization of standard practices.
June 23 is the final approval hearing, and eligible U.S. Android users must choose a payment method by that date to receive money; payouts are capped at $100 per person, with opt-outs due by May 29.
As part of the settlement, Google agreed to clearer disclosures, more explicit consent for new-phone setup, and a toggle to disable certain data collection—changes that could shape broader privacy practices.

After another privacy settlement, will Google's promised Android changes actually protect your data or just update the fine print?

Google's $135M payout is near; with 100 million users eligible, what will your actual share be?