Android users to be paid share of $135 million by Google

Google has agreed to pay $135 million to resolve a proposed class action lawsuit accusing its Android operating system of collecting users’ cellular data without permission, in a preliminary settlement filed in federal court in San Jose, California.

The deal, which requires a judge’s final approval, would commit Google to new disclosures and consent mechanisms during setup of an Android device.

Google has denied wrongdoing.

Origin Of The Google Class Action Lawsuit

This settlement addressed allegations that Android performed “passive data transfers” over cellular networks, even when devices were idle or connected to Wi-Fi. This raised multiple concerns about privacy and potential data charges due to the device bypassing Wi-Fi.

Plaintiffs alleged that Google specifically programmed Android devices to transfer data over cellular networks. Even in situations where users reasonably believed it wouldn’t—such as when Google apps were closed, location sharing was disabled, or the phone…