Google Appeals $425M Privacy Verdict

Google has taken the first step toward appealing a ruling requiring the company to pay $425 million for allegedly violating mobile users’ privacy.

The
company, which filed a “notice of appeal” Monday, hasn’t yet made substantive arguments to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear the case.

Google’s move comes in a
lawsuit dating to 2020, when lead plaintiff Anibal Rodriguez and others alleged that Google gathered analytics information even after they attempted to block data collection. They specifically alleged
that Google uses its Analytics for Firebase code — which can collect data about app usage — to gather app-related data even
when users toggle off a “Web & App Activity” setting.

In September, a jury determined after trial that
Google was liable for two related privacy claims — — “intrusion upon seclusion” and “invasion of privacy” — and assessed damages at $425 million.

Both claims required the
jury to find that mobile users had a…