Google legal moves advance

Google is dealing with two very different court fights at the same time: one is a consumer payout over Android phones allegedly using cellular data in the background, and the other is a business lawsuit over where an antitrust case gets heard. Both moved forward this week, but in completely different ways. (cnet.com) (ca5.uscourts.gov) The consumer case is about a simple complaint with a real-world cost: your phone could use paid mobile data even when you were not actively touching it. The lawsuit said some Android devices sent data to Google while idle, which mattered most for people on limited cellular plans. (cnet.com) (androidauthority.com) Google agreed in January 2026 to a $135 million preliminary settlement in Taylor v. Google LLC, and the payment site is now live. CNET reported the class could cover about 100 million United States Android users, which means the fund is large but the number of potential claimants is even larger. (cnet.com) The headline number floating around is “up to $100,” but that is a ceiling, not a promise. Android Authority reported that payments will be prorated after legal fees and will depend on how many people end up qualifying, so the average payout could be much smaller. (androidauthority.com) The current class definition is broad: a living person in the United States who used an Android device with a cellular data plan at any point from November 12, 2017 until final approval. One carveout matters: people already included in the separate Csupo case for California residents are excluded from this settlement. (cnet.com) (androidauthority.com) The court has not signed off on the deal yet. The final approval hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2026, and objections or requests to opt out are due by May 29, which means the money is moving closer but is not fully locked in. (cnet.com) The settlement also changes how Android handles the issue going forward. Google will revise Google Play terms to say some passive data transfers can happen even when the device is not in use, and CNET reported Google will stop collecting that data when the “allow background data usage” setting is turned off. (cnet.com) The second case is not about phone users getting checks. It is about Branch Metrics, a company that sued Google under federal antitrust law after documents from the United States government’s search monopoly case became public. (ca5.uscourts.gov) Branch filed in the Eastern District of Texas, a court that businesses often pick because it is seen as faster and, in some kinds of cases, more plaintiff-friendly. Google asked to move the case to the Northern District of California, where it argued most witnesses and evidence are located. (ca5.uscourts.gov) (law.com) On April 7, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit sided with Google and ordered the transfer. The court said the lower judge gave too much weight to Texas moving cases quickly and not enough weight to the fact that the center of gravity for the dispute was in California. (ca5.uscourts.gov) (law.com) That does not end the antitrust claims, but it changes the field they will be played on. One Google case is now in the payout phase for consumers, while the other has been pushed onto Google’s home turf before the main antitrust fight even begins. (cnet.com) (ca5.uscourts.gov)