Google to pay $135 million to settle Android data transfer lawsuit

By Jonathan Stempel

Jan 28 (Reuters) - Google (GOOG) volition wage $135 cardinal to settee a projected people enactment by smartphone users who accused Google of ​programming its Android operating strategy to cod their cellular information without ‌permission.

A preliminary colony with the Alphabet portion was filed precocious Tuesday nighttime successful the San ‌Jose, California, national court, and requires a judge's approval.

Google denied wrongdoing successful agreeing to the settlement, which covers users of Android-powered mobile devices since November 12, 2017.

Users said Google needlessly collected cellular data, which they purchased from mobile carriers, ⁠even erstwhile they closed Google's ‌apps, disabled location-sharing oregon locked their screens.

They said the information supported Google's merchandise improvement and targeted advertizing campaigns and ‍amounted to "conversion," erstwhile a enactment wrongfully takes different party's spot with the intent to asseverate control.

As portion of the settlement, Google volition not transportation information without obtaining consent from Android ​users erstwhile they acceptable up their phones.

The Mountain View, California-based institution volition ‌also marque it easier for users to halt the transfers by toggling, and volition disclose the transfers successful its Google Play presumption of service.

Glen Summers, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said successful a tribunal filing helium believed the $135 cardinal payout is the largest ever successful a conversion case. Payments are capped ⁠at $100 per people member. A damages adept for ​the plaintiffs estimated that imaginable damages could person ​reached $1.05 billion.

The suit began successful November 2020. A proceedings had been scheduled for August 5.

"We are pleased to resoluteness this case, which ‍mischaracterized modular manufacture ⁠practices that support Android safe," Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said successful an email. "We're providing further disclosures to springiness radical much accusation astir however ⁠our services work."

The plaintiffs' lawyers whitethorn question up to $39.8 million, oregon 29.5% of the colony ‌fund, for ineligible fees.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel successful New York. Editing ‌by Andrea Ricci and Mark Potter)