Android users may qualify for payments from a $135 million settlement resolving a class-action lawsuit alleging Google collected data without permission. The lawsuit, Taylor v. Google, claims Android devices transmitted user information even when idle, consuming cellular data. The settlement covers users who connected to the internet via cellular networks from November 12, 2017, to the present.
Claiming the Settlement
Qualifying users will receive a notice with a notice ID and confirmation code. They must submit their preferred payment method via the settlement website. Payments will vary based on the number of claimants and legal fees, with roughly 100 million users potentially eligible. The settlement administrator will attempt to pay users even if they don’t submit payment details.
Google’s Response
Google denied the allegations, stating the lawsuit’s claims were without merit. The company has not publicly commented on the settlement terms.
Background
The lawsuit, filed in 2020, alleged Google’s Android platform secretly transmitted user data in real time, including when devices were idle. The plaintiffs argued this practice forced users to subsidize Google’s data collection by consuming their cellular data. The settlement aims to resolve these claims without admitting liability.