Google has agreed to pay $135 million (~RM 531 million) to settle a class action lawsuit filed in California involving unauthorized cellular data collection on Android devices. Android allegedly collects users’ cellular data without permission even after Google apps are closed, location is turned off, and the device’s screen is locked.
The users who filed the lawsuit claim that their data was used by Google for product development and targeted advertising. To settle the case out of court, Google paid $135 million but denied any wrongdoing, promised not to transfer data without permission during initial phone setup, provided users with controls to prevent data from being transferred, and stated that data transfers existed in the Google Play terms.
Despite the large amount of compensation, each plaintiff in the class action lawsuit will only receive a maximum of $100 per plaintiff. It still requires a judge’s approval.
