It wasn’t exactly hidden. Not anymore.
Google is parting with $135 million to settle a lawsuit accusing them of siphoning off Android users’ cellular data. The allegation is ugly, but straightforward. Taylor v. Google claims that starting in 2018, Android OS began automatically grabbing background data via cell carriers.
Even if you turned off location services. Even if you closed the apps. The data still flowed. And you paid for it, through the roof.
The lawsuit argues Google “effectively forces users to subsidize the company’s surveillance” by secretly programming devices to transmit info using your own purchased data allowance.
This isn’t just about privacy preferences. It’s a legal concept called conversion. Theft, basically. Taking someone’s property (data) with the intent to keep it or use it against them.
No one has settled a conversion claim for this much money before.
What Google says
Naturally, the company denied it.
“We are pleased to resolve this,” said spokesperson José Castañeda, arguing the suit mischaracterized “standard industry practices that keep Android safe.”
The court hasn’t ruled Google did anything illegal. It hasn’t ruled they didn’t.
The settlement is preliminary, but it’s moving. There is a final approval hearing coming up, June 23, that will lock in the payout structure. Until then, hold your horses.
Do You Qualify?
Not every Android owner gets a check. In fact, you don’t even have to ask for one to be considered part of the group, provided you hit specific markers.
To be eligible, you must:
1. Be a living human in the U.S. (or its territories).
2. Use an Android phone on a cellular plan.
3. Have done so anytime between November 12, 2024, and the final settlement date.
4. Not be part of Csupo v. Google. That was a similar case, but only for Californians. You can’t double-dip.
If you meet these criteria, you’re already in the pot. You are automatically included.
Unless you opt out.
If you want to keep the right to sue Google yourself—on your own dime, for your own gain—you need to declare it by May 29. That deadline is firm. Miss it, and you’re bound by the class rules.
The Payout Cap
$100.
That is the absolute maximum. Per person. Don’t get excited about a windfall. The bulk of the $135 million? A slice goes to attorneys’ fees first. Then, the remainder gets chopped up among class members equally.
If money is left after round one, they might do a second, smaller distribution.
But here’s the kicker: you do not get money if you do not claim it.
The court will approve the distribution plan at the June meeting, but unless you tell Google how to pay you on the official settlement website by that same date, you’re getting nothing. It doesn’t matter if you qualified. You still have to pick your payment method.
It’s bureaucratic friction designed to filter out the lazy. Which is, presumably, a significant portion of us.
Future Changes
Beyond the cash, Google has agreed to change its terms of service. No more ambiguity. They have to get explicit consent when you first use a new Android phone. Toggle buttons to switch off data collection must be present. Disclosures must be clear.
Privacy rights have teeth, apparently, if enough money is on the line.
Is this victory enough to make us care? Probably not.
There is another case floating around too—a $68 million preliminary settlement involving ad targeting via Google Assistant. Same company, different sin. The cycle spins on.
The money is there. The deadline is tight. Check your phone.
