A sizable story has been quietly making its way through a federal courtroom in California, somewhere between the usual onslaught of privacy headlines and the cacophony of another tech earnings season. In order to resolve a class action lawsuit known as Taylor v. Google LLC, Google has agreed to pay $135 million without acknowledging any fault. The case has been pending for many years. The website for the settlement is now operational. However, if you ask someone who is scrolling through their Pixel at a coffee shop in Brooklyn or Austin if they have heard of it, you will typically receive a blank stare.
This one is peculiar in part because of that. Up to 100 million Android users in the US may be impacted by the case, and payouts could total up to $100 per person. Settlements of this magnitude used to seem like news. These days, they hardly make an impression due to antitrust drama and AI announcements.
The accusation itself sounds technical until you give it some thought. The plaintiffs claimed that Google caused Android phones to silently and in the background transfer data back to its servers while consuming the user’s purchased cellular data. Not a wireless network. Not a sync that is optional. The monthly data plan that you pay Verizon or T-Mobile. The idea that your phone was doing a quick errand for Google on your dime while it was in your pocket on the train seems a little ridiculous.
As is customary in situations such as this, Google denies any wrongdoing. However, some changes have also been agreed upon. In accordance with the settlement terms, the company will amend its Google Play terms to clarify that cellular data may be used in the absence of Wi-Fi and that some transfers occur passively, even when the phone appears to be idle. Consent will be requested from users during setup. Google claims that if a user turns off “allow background data usage,” it will completely cease collecting. On paper, minor adjustments. It remains to be seen if they actually change anything.
A judge will consider objections and determine whether the deal is fair at the final approval hearing on June 23. The deadline for anyone wishing to object is May 29 to write to the court. You must be a resident of the United States, have used an Android phone on a cellular data plan at any time after November 12, 2017, and not be involved in the related California case, Csupo v. Google, in order to be eligible.
It’s important to remember that Google has made other recent payouts. The business consented to pay $68 million in January to resolve a different lawsuit that claimed Google Assistant unintentionally recorded private conversations and sent them to advertisers. A $700 million settlement involving Google Play was recently reached by a coalition led by Utah. Earlier this month, a jury in another privacy case decided to award $425 million. Even though Google would prefer you didn’t, it’s difficult to ignore a pattern.
The mechanics are fairly straightforward. If you got a notice in the email tied to your Android account, it includes a Notice ID and a confirmation code. Plug those into the settlement site and pick a payment method. Not a word? You may still be able to file. However, similar to the majority of these portals, the website isn’t exactly intended for casual users.
Depending on how you’ve come to view your phone and what it does when you’re not looking, $100 may feel like pocket change or vindication. The money is there either way. The majority simply don’t know how to ask for it.
