Google fined $314 million for secretly collecting Android user data

A jury in San Jose, California, ordered Google to pay more than $314.6 million in compensation to Android users, alleging that the company collected and used their mobile data for advertising without consent - even when the devices were idle.

Here's What We Know

The lawsuit, filed in 2019 in California Superior Court, Santa Clara County (San Jose), on behalf of about 14 million state residents, alleged that Google collected data from unused Android phones without users' consent.

In July 2025, a jury of Santa Clara County judges ruled that Google had misused California residents' mobile data. The prosecution proved that Android devices transmitted information to Google's servers even in standby mode, consuming paid traffic without users' knowledge.

The compensation amounted to $314.6 million - a reflection of the company's "unlawful gain" at the expense of users. Google said it would appeal, arguing that such background data transfers are essential to Android's security, functionality and are stipulated in the user agreement .

The plaintiffs pointed out that mobile traffic was spent on adverts that benefited Google exclusively, while users were forced to pay for them.

Context and Perspective

The case applies only to California, but a similar lawsuit has already been filed in federal court in San Jose on behalf of users in the other 49 states. A hearing is scheduled for April 2026.

This precedent is a strong message to tech companies about transparency and protecting user data. Google plans to appeal the ruling, but if unsuccessful, the payments will become mandatory.

Source: Bloomberg