Google has agreed to hand over $135 million to resolve a sweeping lawsuit brought by smartphone users who accused the company of quietly siphoning off their cellular data through its Android operating system.
The proposed class-action settlement, filed in a federal court in San Jose, California, still awaits judicial approval. It applies to people who have used Android-powered devices since November 12, 2017.
At the heart of the case was a claim that Android continued to collect and transmit cellular data even when users believed they had shut the door—by closing Google apps, disabling location services, or locking their screens. According to the complaint, that data, purchased from mobile carriers, was funneled into product development and targeted advertising efforts without users’ consent.
Google has rejected allegations of wrongdoing, but agreed to settle to bring the dispute to a close.
Beyond the financial payout, the deal includes changes to how Android handles data transfers. Google has committed to seeking explicit user consent during phone setup before transferring such data. It will also simplify controls, allowing users to halt transfers more easily through on-device toggles, and will spell out these practices more clearly in Google Play’s terms of service.
The $135 million figure stands out in privacy litigation circles. Lawyers for the plaintiffs described it as the largest settlement ever tied to a “conversion” claim—a legal term used when one party is accused of taking another’s property and exercising control over it. Individual payouts to users will be capped at $100.
The case had been headed toward trial later this year. Under the agreement, plaintiffs’ attorneys may seek close to $40 million from the settlement fund to cover legal fees.
For Google, the settlement closes a chapter in a long-running debate over how much data smartphones collect—and how clearly tech giants explain those practices to the people carrying their devices every day.
