Google to Pay $135 Million to Settle Android Phone-Data Suit

Google LLC will pay $135 million to settle a proposed class action alleging it illegally consumes the cellular data consumers have purchased from their cellular providers, under a proposed deal filed in federal court.

Class members will be eligible for a pro-rata share of the net settlement fund after deduction of attorneys fees and expenses and the costs of administration, according to a motion for preliminary approval of the deal filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The settlement is subject to approval by Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi.

• The plaintiffs alleged that Google secretly programmed the Android operating system to send and receive large amounts of data to and from the Alphabet Inc. unit using the cellular data owned by Android users
• The Ninth Circuit previously overturned DeMarchi’s dismissal of the lawsuit, finding the plaintiffs had adequately alleged that Android users had a property interest in their cellular data and that Google used their data in a way that interfered with that interest
• The settlement also requires Google to make changes to its Google Play terms of service and other disclosure screens to inform users about its practices and obtain express consent from users for its use of their data

Korein Tillery LLC, McManis Faulkner, and Bartlit Beck LLP represent the plaintiffs. Cooley LLP represents Google.

The case is Taylor v. Google LLC, N.D. Cal., No. 5:20-cv-07956, motion 1/27/26.