Google Ordered to Pay $314M in Cellular Data Class Action
The ruling raises new questions about whether big tech’s data collection practices are finally facing real consequences or just more court battles.
Google just got handed a $314.6 million bill for collecting data from idle Android phones without permission. The class action verdict, delivered in a San Jose courtroom on July 1, affects 14 million Californians and stems from a 2019 lawsuit claiming the company quietly harvested information for targeted ads, while burning through users’ cellular data.
The jury sided with users, stating the practice unfairly benefitted Google while draining personal resources. It’s a big moment, not just because of the money, but because the payout goes to consumers directly, not regulators.
That makes this different from many past privacy fines. When Facebook (now Meta) was fined $5 billion in 2019 or slapped with €1.2 billion in Europe last year, the cash went to government bodies. But here, actual Android users could see compensation, marking a shift in how legal remedies are structured.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
Still, history tells us not to hold our breath. Big Tech has a habit of appealing these decisions, dragging out payments for years. Just ask Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, which has collected only $19.9 million of the $3.26 billion it’s fined tech giants like Meta and TikTok as of late 2024, as per reports.
The bigger question: do these penalties actually work? Regulatory agencies are beginning to doubt it. The UK’s privacy watchdog recently suggested that massive fines just lead to massive court battles, not better behaviour.
Google plans to appeal, following the industry’s now-standard script. Whether this verdict becomes a turning point for consumer privacy or just another round of legal theatre, remains to be seen.
