Google to pay $135 million: Android data case settles; users may get payouts

The lawsuit, Taylor et al. v. Google LLC, claimed that Android devices sent data to Google servers even when users were not actively using their phones. According to the complaint, this could happen when apps were closed. The plaintiffs also said that these data transfers could take place even when Wi-Fi was available. This raised concerns that users may have used mobile data without knowing it. However, Google denied all claims and said it did nothing wrong. There has been no court ruling on whether the claims are true, but the company chose to settle the case to avoid a long legal process.

The settlement applies to people in the US who used Android phones on cellular data from November 12, 2017, until the final approval of the court. California residents are not included as they were covered under a separate legal settlement in a similar case. The group of eligible users includes regular smartphone users across different age groups and professions.

The total settlement amount is $135 million. Legal fees and other costs will be deducted first. After that, the remaining money will be shared among eligible users. Early estimates suggest that some people could receive up to $100. However, most users are likely to get a smaller amount because many people are expected to file claims. Users may not need to submit detailed forms; they are likely to receive a notice with instructions. Payments may be made through digital methods such as PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, bank transfer, or prepaid cards.

The plaintiffs argued that this data use mainly benefited Google, not users. Even small data use can add to costs over time. As part of the settlement, Google has agreed to improve how it explains background data usage. The settlement is not final yet as a federal judge must approve it. Once approved, eligible users will receive official information on how to claim their money.