On July 1, a jury in California ruled that Google unlawfully used user data, resulting in a $314.6 million fine for Android smartphone owners. This was reported by Reuters.

Plaintiffs argued that Google was responsible for sending and receiving data from devices without consent while they were inactive. The lawsuit described this as a "mandatory and unavoidable burden placed on Android users for the benefit of Google".

A Google spokesperson stated that the company plans to appeal the jury's decision, claiming that the verdict "misunderstands services critical to the safety, performance, and reliability of Android devices".

The plaintiffs' attorney remarked that the verdict "strongly affirms the merits of this case and highlights the seriousness of Google’s misconduct".

The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2019 on behalf of approximately 14 million Californians, alleging that Google collected information from inactive Android smartphones, consuming cellular data without the users' knowledge.

In response, Google maintained that no Android users were harmed by data transmission and that users had consented to this in the company's terms of service and privacy policy.

A similar lawsuit has also been filed by a group of Android users from the other 49 states in the U.S., with the hearing scheduled for April 2026.