Google to pay 5.7 million for nearly ten years of unauthorized smartphone data collection.
A federal jury in San Francisco has ruled against Google, ordering the tech giant to pay 5.7 million for engaging in unauthorized data collection over nearly a decade. This significant verdict, delivered on Wednesday, emerged from a class-action lawsuit that encompassed about 98 million smartphones in the United States from July 1, 2016, to September 23, 2024. The awarded damages equate to approximately per device, showcasing a fraction of the immense scale of privacy violations alleged in the case.
The legal proceedings unfolded over more than two weeks and culminated in a decision that found Google had violated California privacy laws by allegedly snooping on users who believed their privacy settings were adequately protecting their online activities. Despite the jury’s ruling, Google maintains its position that it has not engaged in improper tracking. A Google spokesperson asserted that the company’s privacy tools are designed to give users control over their data, emphasizing that personalization options are honored when turned off by users.
At the heart of the lawsuit was the claim that Google exploited data collected from users’ smartphones to enhance its advertising strategy, effectively monetizing personal information without consent. Plaintiffs argued that this unauthorized use contributed to billions in additional revenue for Google, characterizing the tech company’s practices as an illegal profiteering scheme. Although the jury’s damage award fell significantly below the plaintiffs’ original estimate of over billion, one attorney involved in the case hailed the outcome as a notable victory for privacy advocates.
Legal representatives expressed hope that the ruling would send a clear message to the technology sector about the importance of consumer privacy rights. They indicated that American consumers will actively resist practices that involve the unauthorized collection and monetization of their personal information.
This jury verdict comes on the heels of another significant legal development for Google. Just a day prior, the company successfully navigated a challenge from the U.S. Department of Justice in a high-profile antitrust case concerning its dominant position in the search engine market. Although a federal judge ruled Google’s search engine as an illegal monopoly, the recommended changes were less extreme than anticipated, instead mandating that the company share a portion of its search data with competitors.
Media News Source reports on these critical developments reflect the broader conversations around privacy, data protection, and competition in the technology industry, areas increasingly under scrutiny by legal frameworks and consumer watchdogs. As the outcomes of such cases continue to shape the regulatory landscape, they underscore the ongoing tension between data usage practices and individual privacy rights.
