Google has agreed to pay out a staggering $135 million to settle allegations that it was secretly collecting cellular data from Android phone users without their consent. The lawsuit, which dates back to 2017, claims that the search giant had been extracting data from phones purchased through carriers, even when apps were closed or location features were disabled.
The affected users claimed that Google's actions constituted "conversion," a concept in US law that occurs when one party takes property without permission with the intention of depriving the other person of it. In this case, plaintiffs alleged that Google was using their data for marketing and product development purposes, which they believed was a clear invasion of their privacy.
The proposed settlement would see each user entitled to up to $100 from Google, although the company denies any wrongdoing. However, as part of the agreement, Google has pledged to seek consent during the setup process of a new phone and add a toggle that allows users to easily disable data transfer. The Alphabet-owned company will also adjust its terms of service accordingly.
The payout would be one of the largest ever seen in a case of this nature, according to Glen Summers, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. This settlement comes just days after Google agreed to pay out $68 million to settle claims that it's Google Assistant had been spying on users after being triggered by misheard wake words. The tech giant has denied any wrongdoing in both cases.
A trial is scheduled for August 5, but with this proposed settlement, the outcome of the lawsuit appears all but certain.
The affected users claimed that Google's actions constituted "conversion," a concept in US law that occurs when one party takes property without permission with the intention of depriving the other person of it. In this case, plaintiffs alleged that Google was using their data for marketing and product development purposes, which they believed was a clear invasion of their privacy.
The proposed settlement would see each user entitled to up to $100 from Google, although the company denies any wrongdoing. However, as part of the agreement, Google has pledged to seek consent during the setup process of a new phone and add a toggle that allows users to easily disable data transfer. The Alphabet-owned company will also adjust its terms of service accordingly.
The payout would be one of the largest ever seen in a case of this nature, according to Glen Summers, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. This settlement comes just days after Google agreed to pay out $68 million to settle claims that it's Google Assistant had been spying on users after being triggered by misheard wake words. The tech giant has denied any wrongdoing in both cases.
A trial is scheduled for August 5, but with this proposed settlement, the outcome of the lawsuit appears all but certain.
. Like what's the point of having an "opt out" option if they're just gonna ignore it? And $135 million is a pretty steep price to pay for Google's mistakes 
. I'm glad they're making some changes, like adding that toggle and seeking consent upfront, but it's about time they took responsibility for their actions 
. This settlement is a huge deal, I guess, but what's gonna prevent them from messing up again? 
I'm kinda disappointed that it took Google this long to own up to what seems like a pretty obvious mistake. I mean, come on, collecting data from Android users without their consent? That's just basic privacy stuff. And now they're trying to spin it as if they were being all transparent about it and only collected the data after it was already installed... yeah right 
.
? That's just a whole different story. And what really gets me is that Google's basically saying "sorry, guys" with this $135 million payout 
. Like, what did we expect? They're not gonna get off scot-free entirely, but still... it's about time they acknowledge their misstep and make some changes 
.
It's like they think we won't notice or care, right? But seriously, $135 million is a huge amount and I'm glad the users are getting some form of compensation. However, I feel bad for those who might not get as much as others - it's just not fair.
It's crazy to think about how much info they have on us just because of the apps we download. And what's with all these "terms of service" - can't they just make it clear what they're doing? 
! I mean, who would've thought that Google was collecting our data without us even knowing? It's like they're watching over our shoulders 24/7 
. It's about time they start putting us in control of our own data. But I gotta wonder, what else have they been doing behind the scenes without us knowing? 
.
$135 million is a whole lotta cash 
and now they gotta make some serious changes to their setup process 
like actually asking for consent when you're installing that new phone 
. I don't think it's fair to say they were doing anything wrong, tho. I mean, yeah, maybe it was a bit sketchy, but it's not like they were literally stealing peoples' souls or something 
. And let's be real, everyone knows their data is being collected and sold somewhere, so Google wasn't really doing anything different from the rest of us 
. The plaintiffs are just trying to make a quick buck off of people who didn't even know they were affected 
i feel like it's about time too, our phones are basically like supercomputers and we never even got a choice in what happens with our data 
and now they're gonna give us like 100 bucks each? that's not enough tbh, idk how ppl survived w/o it