Google has agreed to pay $135 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Android users who claim the company was secretly collecting their personal data without consent. The plaintiffs alleged that since 2017, Google had been harvesting cellular data from phones purchased through carriers, even when apps were closed or location features were disabled.
The affected users believed that this use of their data for marketing and product development constituted "conversion," a concept under US law where one party takes the property of another with "the intent to deprive them of it" or "exert property rights over it." According to lawyers representing the plaintiffs, the proposed settlement would be one of the largest ever in a case like this.
If approved by a judge, Google would pay up to $100 to each user involved in the lawsuit. The company has denied any wrongdoing and has agreed to seek consent from users when setting up their new phones moving forward. A toggle will be added to enable users to easily disable data transfer, while Alphabet's terms of service will also be adjusted accordingly.
This settlement comes after another this week, where Google agreed to pay $68 million over claims that its Google Assistant was spying on users after being misheard as wake words. Google has consistently denied any wrongdoing in both cases. A trial is scheduled for August 5.
The affected users believed that this use of their data for marketing and product development constituted "conversion," a concept under US law where one party takes the property of another with "the intent to deprive them of it" or "exert property rights over it." According to lawyers representing the plaintiffs, the proposed settlement would be one of the largest ever in a case like this.
If approved by a judge, Google would pay up to $100 to each user involved in the lawsuit. The company has denied any wrongdoing and has agreed to seek consent from users when setting up their new phones moving forward. A toggle will be added to enable users to easily disable data transfer, while Alphabet's terms of service will also be adjusted accordingly.
This settlement comes after another this week, where Google agreed to pay $68 million over claims that its Google Assistant was spying on users after being misheard as wake words. Google has consistently denied any wrongdoing in both cases. A trial is scheduled for August 5.
That's wild 
how Google was secretly collecting cellular data from phones without user consent 
. I mean, who doesn't want to control their own personal info? 
The fact that they're paying $135 million is a big deal 
, but it's not like they're taking responsibility for their actions 
. They just need to ask for permission next time 
.
that the judge can approve or deny the settlement and that users will get up to $100 
and is changing its ways 
. Fingers crossed that this doesn't happen again 
, but I know it's hard for companies like Google to keep track of everything 
.
in the first place 
. It's time for tech giants to put us first 
and respect our online freedom 
!
. While it's concerning that users' personal data was being harvested without consent, it's heartening to see Google agreeing to seek explicit user consent moving forward 
. However, one can't help but wonder if this is merely a damage control measure, rather than a genuine attempt to reform Google's data collection practices 
. Still, it's a good start 
.
... Still, at least they're taking steps to make it easier for us to control our own data moving forward 
, I'm shocked that Google got caught red-handed collecting personal data without consent. Like, who does that?! 
. I think the amount is super generous and Google got off pretty easy 
.
.
. Still, at least they're agreeing to get users' consent from now on, which is a good start 
. Can't wait to see what happens when the trial comes around...
. This settlement is a huge step towards giving people back control over their personal data. I mean, who doesn't want to know what's going on with their phone when it's not even in use? It's like having an invisible spy watching you all the time 
. 
.
finally some justice for all those android users who felt like google was taking their data without asking 
i'm glad they're agreeing to change their ways and give users more control over what happens to their data 
what's the point of even having an 'opt-out' option if they're just gonna make it super hard to use? i mean, who has time to dig through all those settings and toggles every single day? anyway, hopefully this settlement brings some real change to how google handles user data 
.
. It's wild that people are actually going up against them now - the numbers don't lie, $135 million is a serious chunk change 
... anyway, it's good to see that something's being done, but I'm sure we'll still have to be on our toes when it comes to protecting our personal info 
.
. Can't say I'm surprised they got caught red-handed 
.
it's crazy how they thought they could get away with it and then people got all outraged 
and now they're gonna pay out $135 million, that's insane 
. I'm still waiting for some answers on how this happened and why Google didn't do more to stop it 
.
. Maybe they should just take responsibility for their actions and not try to spin everything as "user error" or whatever 
its like, belated apology or something? idk how much more money do they need to pay before people just move on? and btw, $100 per user sounds kinda low considering all the data they've been collecting