Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Did you use an Android phone since 2017? Google may owe you money

A $135 million settlement covers millions of US users whose cellular data was used without consent

Android compensation claim

A separate case involving California residents had previously resulted in a $350 million settlement

Getty Images

Highlights

  • Google settled for $135 m after lawsuit claimed Android devices used cellular data without permission-.
  • Around 100 million US users could be eligible for a payout.
  • Final approval hearing is scheduled for June 23, with opt-out deadline of May 29.
Google has agreed to pay $135 m to settle a lawsuit claiming its Android operating system transferred user data in the background without permission.
The transfers allegedly happened even when phones were completely idle, and sometimes over cellular networks rather than Wi-Fi, quietly eating into users' paid data allowances.
Google denied wrongdoing but chose to settle. A separate case involving California residents had previously resulted in a $350 million settlement.

The lawsuit accused Google of causing Android devices to send "a variety of information" to its servers with no notice to the user.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda told The Post the company was "pleased to resolve this case, which mischaracterised standard industry practices that keep Android safe" and added it would provide "additional disclosures to give people more information about how our services work."


Who gets paid

Around 100 million Americans could be eligible for a share of the settlement. To qualify, a person must be a US resident, not a business, who used an Android device to access the internet on a cellular data plan at any point since 12 November 2017.

Those already part of the separate California case, Csupo v. Google LLC, do not qualify.

Android compensation claim The lawsuit accused Google of causing Android devices to send "a variety of information" to its servers with no notice to the userGetty Images

Individual payouts are expected to be modest, roughly between $1 and $1.50 per person, though payments are capped at $100 depending on how many users ultimately claim.

Eligible users do not need to fill in a traditional claim form but are encouraged to visit the official settlement website, FederalCellularClassAction.com, and select a preferred payment method.

If no method is chosen, administrators may attempt payment through Zelle, PayPal or Venmo using available account details.

Those wanting to opt out and keep their right to sue separately must submit a signed request before 29 May.

The final court approval hearing is set for 23 June. If approved, funds will be distributed among all eligible claimants after attorney fees and court costs are deducted.

Users unsure whether they qualify can contact the settlement administrator on 1-844-655-4255.

More For You

Roblox

Roblox Kids offers under-nines a simplified, communication-free, curated gaming experience

Getty Images

Roblox found parents helping children bypass age checks using their own faces

Highlights

  • Roblox footage showed children handing phones to parents during facial age checks.
  • The company now monitors account behaviour to detect age mismatches after verification.
  • New Kids and Select account tiers restrict content and communication by age group.
Roblox has revealed that parents have been using their own faces to complete age checks on their children's accounts, inadvertently placing minors into adult user categories with fewer protections.
The disclosure came from Matt Kaufman, the platform's chief safety officer, who said internal validation tests caught the behaviour directly.
"You could see the kid in the background who handed the phone to their parent," he told The Guardian.

The gaming company, which reports 144 million daily users, is now rolling out age-specific account types called Roblox Kids and Roblox Select, the most significant structural change to its platform in years.

A user's estimated age will determine which version of the service they access, what content they can view, and who they can communicate with.

Keep ReadingShow less