On July 1, a jury in California determined that Google unlawfully utilized user data, leading to a $314.6 million penalty for the owners of Android smartphones in the state. This information was reported by Reuters.

The plaintiffs argued that Google is 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 representative stated that the company plans to appeal the jury's decision, claiming that the verdict "misunderstands the essential services critical for the safety, performance, and reliability of Android devices."

The plaintiffs' lawyer noted that the ruling "strongly affirms the validity of this case and reflects the seriousness of Google's wrongful actions."

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

In response, Google asserted that no Android user was harmed by the data transmission and that users had consented to it under the company's terms of service and privacy policy.

A similar lawsuit was filed by another group representing Android users in the other 49 states of the U.S., with hearings scheduled for April 2026.