Google agrees $135M settlement

Google has agreed to a $135 million class-action settlement over claims Android phones sent data to Google without users’ permission. (classaction.org) The case is Taylor v. Google LLC in federal court in Northern California, and the settlement notice says the lawsuit covers Android mobile devices that transferred information to Google while consuming users’ cellular data. Google denies it did anything wrong. (classaction.org) The proposed class covers people in the United States who used an Android device on a cellular network from Nov. 12, 2017, through the date of final approval, according to the settlement reporting and notice. California residents are generally carved out because a separate California case is handling similar claims. (cbsnews.com, pcmag.com, classaction.org) The allegation is not that Android users were charged a new fee by Google. It is that phones allegedly used paid cellular data in the background to send information back to Google, even when users were not actively doing anything on the device. (androidauthority.com, cnet.com, msn.com) People who qualify are not being promised a fixed check. Payments are expected to be prorated after fees, expenses, service awards, and the number of valid participants are counted, and some reports say individual payouts could reach as much as $100. (yahoo.com, usatoday.com, classaction.org) The settlement process appears to be more about confirming payment details than filing a long-form claim. Recent coverage says eligible users receive or can access a payment election form and choose options such as PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, automated clearing house transfer, or a virtual Mastercard. (androidauthority.com, theclassactionlawsuit.com, zdnet.com) Several outlets report a May 29, 2026 deadline tied to exclusions, objections, or payment elections, with a final approval hearing expected on June 23, 2026. Those dates come from the settlement notice and follow the usual pattern for class actions: the court must approve the deal before money goes out. (classaction.org, theclassactionlawsuit.com, techrepublic.com) The case has been watched closely because it turns a technical background process into a consumer billing issue. Mobile data is the metered internet connection people buy from carriers, and the suit says Google used some of that paid allotment without clear consent. (classaction.org, usatoday.com) For Android users, the practical question is simple: whether they used an Android phone on cellular service in the United States after Nov. 12, 2017, and whether they have a settlement notice or can verify eligibility through the settlement process before the court signs off. (cbsnews.com, cnet.com, classaction.org)