California jury slams Google with $314 mn data misuse fine

Plaintiffs in the 2019 lawsuit, representing an estimated 14 million Californians, argued that Google's collection of data from idle Android phones, used for purposes like targeted advertising, consumed users' cellular data at their expense.

By Storyboard18| Jul 2, 2025 9:08 AM

California jury slams Google with $314 mn data misuse fine

Touted as a groundbreaking tool to warn Google Android users of imminent seismic activity—particularly in regions lacking traditional early warning infrastructure—the AEA system significantly underestimated the earthquake’s magnitude, thereby failing to issue timely, life-saving alerts to millions.

A jury on Tuesday ordered Google to pay over $314.6 million to Android smartphone users in California, finding the tech giant misused customer cell phone data, as per reports. The verdict stems from a class-action lawsuit alleging Google collected information from idle devices without permission, imposing "mandatory and unavoidable burdens" on users for its own benefit.

Plaintiffs in the 2019 lawsuit, representing an estimated 14 million Californians, argued that Google's collection of data from idle Android phones, used for purposes like targeted advertising, consumed users' cellular data at their expense.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda stated the company plans to appeal the decision, asserting the verdict "misunderstand[s] services that are critical to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices." During the trial, Google maintained that no Android users were harmed by the data transfers and that users had consented through the company's terms of service and privacy policies.

This state court ruling precedes a separate federal lawsuit bringing similar claims against Google on behalf of Android users in the other 49 states. That case is currently scheduled for trial in April 2026.