Google will pay $135 million to settle illegal data collection lawsuit

Google has agreed to pay a whopping $135 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by Android users who claimed the company was secretly collecting their personal data without consent. The allegations date back to November 2017, when Google allegedly began harvesting cellular data from phones purchased through carriers, even when apps were closed or location features were disabled.

According to the suit, Google's actions constituted "conversion" under US law, which occurs when one party takes property belonging to another with the intention of depriving them of it. In this case, plaintiffs claimed that by using their data for marketing and product development purposes, Google was essentially taking control of their personal information without permission.

As part of a proposed settlement, each affected user could receive up to $100 from Google, although the company denies any wrongdoing. To prevent similar incidents in the future, Google will introduce an optional toggle allowing users to disable data transfer during phone setup and update its terms of service accordingly.

The payout of $135 million is considered one of the largest ever seen in a case like this, according to Glen Summers, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. A trial is scheduled for August 5 to determine the validity of the lawsuit. This settlement comes hot on the heels of another recent agreement reached by Google, which settled claims related to Google Assistant spying on users after misinterpreting certain words as wake-up commands.
 
πŸ€” The fact that Google has agreed to shell out a whopping $135 million is certainly a significant gesture, and it's interesting to note that the company has taken steps to prevent similar incidents in the future by introducing an optional toggle for users to disable data transfer during phone setup πŸ“±. However, I'm still skeptical about Google's denial of wrongdoing, given the sheer scale of the allegations and the fact that multiple Android users came forward with similar complaints 🀝. It's almost as if Google was trying to anticipate the class-action lawsuit and settle it out of court before things got too messy 😬. Nonetheless, this settlement serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and user consent in the digital age πŸ“Š.
 
🀯 omg like what even is googles deal ?? $135 million is crazy!! i mean i knew they were collecting data but who knew it was this much?? i'm just glad that some ppl are fighting for their right to control there own info πŸ˜… but like isn't this just a normal thing for companies like google to do? shouldn't we be used to them snoopin on us πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ anyway i guess its better that they're changin up there terms of service and addin an optional toggle so ppl can opt out πŸ‘
 
🀞 I'm so relieved this is finally getting sorted out! $135 million might seem like a lot, but think about it - that's like 1.35 million people getting a decent chunk of change because Google messed up big time πŸ€‘. And honestly, the fact that they're introducing an optional toggle to disable data transfer during phone setup? That's a game-changer for users! It's all about being more transparent and giving us control over our own info πŸ‘. Plus, it's a good lesson learned for Google - we gotta be more careful with people's personal stuff πŸ€“. Now, let's hope the trial in August doesn't drag on forever ⏰, but I'm confident that justice will be served πŸ’ͺ!
 
Ugh, finally! πŸ™„ Google's been getting caught red-handed (or should I say, red-screening?) for years now, but it takes a massive payout to get them to take responsibility πŸ€‘. I mean, who doesn't love the idea of potentially getting $100 from a company that's basically been collecting their personal data like there's no tomorrow? πŸ’Έ It's not like we're all just voluntarily handing over our info to make Google's life easier... oh wait, that's exactly what we do πŸ™ƒ. Anyway, glad they're changing their terms of service and adding an "opt-out" option – I'm sure it'll be super easy for them to implement and stick to 🀣. At least it's a start, right? πŸ˜’
 
I'm all about giving Google a hard time, but I gotta say, $135 million is some serious cash πŸ’Έ. I mean, those Android users deserve it – it's like they were basically renting their data to Google for free 🀯. It's crazy how companies can just take whatever they want and still manage to make us love 'em πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ.

I'm also low-key impressed that Google is making some changes to prevent this kind of thing from happening again πŸ™. That optional toggle is a great idea – who wouldn't want to control their data, right? πŸ˜‚ But seriously, it's about time they started listening to their users and respecting our boundaries 🀝.

It's not like I'm gonna start using Android again or anything πŸ˜‚, but I do hope this settlement sends a message to other companies: treat your users with respect, or you'll be facing some serious consequences πŸ’₯. Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go check my old phone – is it still collecting data on me from 2017? πŸ€”πŸ“±
 
I mean, can you believe this? $135 million is crazy! I remember when we first got Android phones and had no idea what was going on with our data. It's wild that Google was collecting all that stuff without our permission. And now they're just settling the whole thing for a big chunk of change. It's like, "Oh, you want to know how your phone is working? Well, let me take a peek at your email and browsing history instead." πŸ™„

And it's not like Google was trying to hurt anyone or anything. They just didn't think about how their actions would affect us as users. I guess that's what we get for thinking technology companies are all-knowing and all-powerful. Newsflash: they're not! πŸ˜‚

It's good that something is being done, though. That toggle option to disable data transfer sounds like a good idea. We should've had that back in the day when Android was first coming out...
 
google shoulda thought twice before snoopin into our phones πŸ€«πŸ’» theyre basically takin control of ur data without even askin and now its gonna cost them a pretty penny, $135 million is a whole lotta cash! but still, what kinda company harvests our info without consent? thats some messed up stuff πŸš«πŸ‘Ž
 
I'm not surprised about this settlement, tbh πŸ€”. I mean, we all know Google's been doing some shady stuff with our data for ages πŸ€‘. It's like they think they can just take whatever they want and hide it behind their 'we're just trying to improve your experience' excuse πŸ˜’. Newsflash: that doesn't fly anymore πŸ’¨.

It's actually kinda refreshing to see them taking responsibility and making changes, I guess πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ. That optional toggle thing is a good start, but let's be real, it's probably just going to be a way for them to collect more data without us even realizing it πŸ€‘. Still, at least they're trying, right? Maybe this is the wake-up call they need to actually prioritize user privacy instead of just doing whatever they want πŸ’₯.
 
I'm low-key relieved this is finally happening πŸ™. I mean, $135 million is a small price to pay considering all the people who had their data harvested without consent. It's crazy to think about how Google just took that info for themselves and used it for marketing purposes. They should've been more transparent from the start! Anyway, this settlement better serve as a warning to other companies to respect users' personal space online πŸ‘€. And I'm glad they're introducing an optional toggle – that's a good step in the right direction πŸ’». Still, it's just a drop in the bucket considering all the other data breaches and scandals we've seen over the years πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈ.
 
I was saying something similar about Google's data collection practices last year πŸ€”... remember when they changed their terms of service and started tracking our location even when we closed apps? It was like, what's the point of giving us control over our data if you're just gonna use it for whatever? Anyway, $135 million is a decent payout, but it feels like Google just threw some cash at the problem instead of actually fixing their flawed system πŸ€‘. I'm still waiting to see how this affects other companies that might be collecting user data without consent...
 
omg i'm so relieved this is finally over πŸ™Œ i was like a nervous wreck when i found out that google was collecting our data without consent lol i remember when my phone just started sending random texts to my friends and i had no idea what was going on πŸ˜‚ anyway the fact that they're paying 135 million bucks is insane πŸ€‘ i'm not sure why they did it but like, we all know right? anyway im just glad we get a little payout of $100 which sounds nice but lets be real its not gonna change my life πŸ’Έ
 
omg this is like such a big deal 😳 google's going down for collecting our personal data without consent? i mean i know they've been saying it's all transparent and whatnot, but come on πŸ™„ the fact that they had to settle with $135 million is just insane πŸ’Έ i'm not surprised though, we've known about these issues for years now.

anyway, this settlement is a good start i guess? at least google's acknowledging that they messed up and they're making changes to prevent it from happening again 🀝 like that new toggle to disable data transfer during phone setup? genius πŸ’‘ and updating their terms of service? yeah, about time πŸ™Œ

i just hope this doesn't become a slippery slope where companies start feeling pressured to settle instead of actually fixing the issues πŸ€‘ i mean, we need real change here not just some token gesture. fingers crossed that the trial in august goes in our favor πŸ’ͺ
 
ugh this is just so crazy that google got away with all this for 8 years 🀯 they shouldve paid out like a decent human but instead its 135 mil and it feels like nothing πŸ€‘ what really gets me is the fact that they were collecting data from phones even when apps were closed or location features were disabled lol what was google thinking? πŸ˜‚ anyway, glad some ppl are taking action now maybe next time they'll think twice before messing with our personal info πŸ’»
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one... $135 million is a crazy amount for one company to shell out, especially considering how long it took for Android users to even notice they were being tracked. I remember when I first got my first smartphone in 2012 and it was all about the likes of Apple and Samsung - who knew Google was playing the same game? It's almost like they say, "you can't have your cake and eat it too"... or in this case, you can collect our data without asking.
 
OMG u guys 🀯! so like google is literally getting roasted for collecting ppl's personal data without consent 🚫😱 and now they gotta pay out 135 mil πŸ€‘ which is crazy fam! i mean i knew they were doing some shady stuff but $100 from each user? that's like, super generous lol. but seriously though, this is a major blow to google's rep and they need to step up their game when it comes to user privacy 🀝. can't wait for the trial in august to see if they're actually guilty or not πŸ€”πŸ’β€β™€οΈ
 
Ugh, this is just a drop in the bucket πŸ€¦β€β™€οΈ. I mean, $135 million for what? So many people used their phones during that time period... it's likely most of those people already have some of their data collected by now πŸ˜’. And good luck with getting the actual payout - I'm sure Google will find ways to weasel out of paying everyone the full $100 they're owed πŸ€‘. Still, it's a good first step in transparency, I guess... introducing that toggle is about time πŸ’». But let's be real, this is just another example of how corporations think they can get away with whatever they want and only face consequences when the law actually catches up to them πŸ™„.
 
πŸ€” I'm not convinced that $135 million is enough for what's basically a massive data leak that happened back in 2017 πŸ“ˆ. I mean, think about it - if each user gets up to $100, and there are millions of Android users out there, that's a pretty paltry sum πŸ’Έ. What about the people who got their personal info harvested for years without even realizing it? That's some serious exploitation right there πŸ˜’. And don't even get me started on Google's "opt-in" toggle - if they can't be trusted with our data in the first place, why should we trust them to give us control over when that data is transferred? πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ I'm all for holding corporations accountable, but this settlement feels like a slap on the wrist to me.
 
aww man thats so shady 🀫 google shouldve been more careful with peoples personal info ... its like they thought they were above the law πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ glad that some ppl fought back and got some justice πŸ’Έ hope this settlement helps others who might've been affected too πŸ’•
 
I'm kinda surprised they're settling this lawsuit for $135 million. I mean, it's a lot of money! But at the same time, I think it's good that Google is taking steps to improve their data collection practices πŸ€”. The whole idea of an optional toggle to disable data transfer during phone setup sounds like a no-brainer. It's about giving users more control over their personal info and what happens to it after they set up their phone πŸ“±. I'm not saying Google didn't do anything wrong, but this settlement feels like a way for them to own up to any mistakes they might have made and make things right πŸ’―. Still, it's interesting to see how the tech industry is constantly evolving and adapting to user concerns 😊.
 
Back
Top