Android users in the U.S. may soon be able to claim part of a $135 million settlement tied to a class-action alleging Google secretly collected cellular data. Eligibility depends on specific dates and actions, opt-outs have deadlines, and payments aren’t guara
A class-action settlement tied to Android data harvesting is moving toward the moment many users have been waiting for: the chance to claim a share of Google’s $135 million agreement. The catch is time. and the details are strict—especially if you want money you’d otherwise assume would simply arrive.
The case, Joseph Taylor v. Google, alleges that Google “effectively forces users to subsidize its surveillance” by secretly programming Android devices to constantly transmit user information using the cellular data customers purchased themselves.
The lawsuit says that starting in 2017, Google updated the Android OS to automatically collect cellular data through carriers, with no way for users to opt out. It further alleges this data collection occurred even if people took steps such as disabling location tracking or closing apps.
Google has denied wrongdoing. The court has not yet decided whether Google violated any laws. Still, Google agreed to settle with class members, and the court has preliminarily approved the settlement payout.
“We are pleased to resolve this case, which mischaracterized standard industry practices that keep Android safe. We’re providing additional disclosures to give people more information about how our services work,” said Google spokesperson José Castañeda.
The official settlement website is live now, but payments are not automatic. They hinge on what happens at the court’s final approval meeting, currently scheduled for June 23. That meeting is expected to confirm the payment sum. allocate attorneys’ fees. and create the distribution plan meant to get money to eligible class members. If the date changes, updates will be posted on the settlement website.
For users who meet all the class criteria, eligibility works like this: you are automatically part of the settlement class unless you opt out before May 29. But you are not guaranteed to receive money unless you select a preferred method of payment on the settlement website by June 23.
Opting out keeps your right to sue Google over the alleged Android data harvesting practices separately, but the deadline is May 29. If you miss it, you’ll be legally bound as a member of the settlement class.
The lawsuit makes a second major allegation beyond the collection itself: that Google’s data collection practices constituted a crime called conversion. Conversion is described in the lawsuit as when one party takes property from another with the intent to deprive them of it. The source says no prior conversion case has ever settled for a sum as large as $135 million.
If the settlement is approved, the case could ripple outward in at least two ways. The lawsuit could carry implications for data privacy and other data collection practices, and it is also expected to force changes in how Google handles disclosures and user consent.
Google has agreed to obtain more explicit consent from Android users when first using new phones. It has also agreed to include a toggle button to turn off certain types of data collection and to disclose data collection more clearly.
There’s another procedural reality users need to understand: to qualify for the settlement payment, you have to fill out your payment details on the official website.
Who can claim money—and who can’t
Having an Android phone doesn’t automatically make you eligible. The settlement requires all of the following criteria.
You must be a living person in the United States or its territories.
You must have used a mobile phone with Android OS and a cellular data plan anytime between Nov. 12, 2017 and the settlement’s final approval.
You must not have participated in the class-action lawsuit Csupo v. Google LLC. That case focused on the same allegations but involved only California residents. The source is clear: you cannot be a class member in both suits.
People who meet every requirement are automatically part of the settlement class unless they choose to opt out before May 29.
How much is at stake
The settlement has an upper cap, even though the exact per-person amount hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Payments are capped at $100 per person.
A portion of the settlement money will be allocated first to attorneys’ fees. and then the rest of the cash will be equally distributed to class members. If money remains after the first round of distributions. it will be portioned out again in a smaller second round of settlement payments to eligible class members.
Even then, class membership isn’t the same as a payout. The source emphasizes that users still have to input their preferred payment details through the settlement website to guarantee the money is distributed correctly.
A related Google settlement is also in the public eye
This Android settlement isn’t the only court fight over Google’s data practices currently drawing attention.
Google recently agreed to a $68 million preliminary settlement in another class-action involving Google Assistant. which is now being replaced with Gemini for Home. In that case. users alleged smart devices used Google Assistant to listen to them without activation. leading to ad targeting based on information they hadn’t willingly shared.
In the $68 million settlement, payments will be made automatically and no claim form is required to receive a payment.
Back on the Android case, the deadline pressure is immediate. The court’s final approval meeting is set for June 23. and May 29 is the line for opting out and preserving the right to sue separately. For users who want the settlement money. the decisive step is selecting a preferred payment method on the settlement website by June 23—before the system decides whether your share can be distributed at all.
Android settlement Google $135 million Joseph Taylor v. Google cellular data collection data privacy class action May 29 deadline June 23 final approval