Google Ordered to Pay $425 Million Over Privacy Breach

The lawsuit alleged that, for more than eight years, Google accessed and stored information from mobile devices in violation of its own privacy assurances under the Web & App Activity setting. While the plaintiffs had sought more than $31 billion in damages, the jury awarded a smaller amount and concluded that Google had not acted with malice. As a result, no punitive damages were imposed, per Reuters.

Google has already announced plans to appeal. Company spokesperson Jose Castaneda said, “This decision misunderstands how our products work. Our privacy tools give people control over their data, and when they turn off personalization, we honor that choice.”

The case, which began in July 2020, covered nearly 98 million Google users and more than 170 million devices, according to U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg, who certified it as a class action. The plaintiffs argued that Google continued gathering data through its ties with third-party apps such as Uber, Venmo, and Instagram, which use Google analytics services.

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In its defense, Google said the data collected was pseudonymous, nonpersonal, and stored securely in encrypted systems. The company maintained the information was not linked to user identities or Google accounts.

David Boies, an attorney for the users, welcomed the outcome, saying they were “obviously very pleased with the verdict the jury returned.”

This ruling adds to Google’s ongoing legal challenges over privacy. Earlier this year, the company reached a nearly $1.4 billion settlement with Texas over alleged violations of the state’s privacy laws. In a separate April 2024 case, Google agreed to delete billions of records related to private browsing after accusations that it tracked users in “Incognito” mode, according to Reuters.

Source: Reuters