Google ordered to pay €314 million over mobile data theft

02 July 2025 , 13:27

721     0

Google ordered to pay €314 million over mobile data theft

Google loses court case over Android user data collection without consent

Google has lost a major legal case over allegations that it collected data from Android users without their consent. The company has already announced plans to appeal the decision.

As reported by Bloomberg, a California state court has ruled that Google must pay $314 million in damages for unlawfully gathering mobile data from Android users without their knowledge. The ruling was handed down by a state court in San Jose, following a class-action lawsuit filed in 2019 on behalf of California residents.

The plaintiffs alleged that Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., deliberately configured Android phones to transmit data to its servers even when WiFi was turned off. This led to users incurring charges for mobile data usage.

According to the lawsuit, the data collected was used “to further Google’s corporate interests”, including improving its targeted advertising systems and mapping services.

The company strongly disagrees with the ruling. Google spokesperson José Castañeda stated that the verdict is flawed and harms users, as it misrepresents fundamental Android functions that are essential for performance and security. He also claimed that the data transfers consume only a minimal amount of traffic and are covered under user agreements.

In addition to this case, a separate federal lawsuit is ongoing, covering all Android users across the United States. That trial is scheduled to begin in 2026.

David Wilson