Google - Android $135 Million Settlement: See If You Are Eligible for Payment!

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Tech giant Google has reached a significant settlement for $135 million in a class-action lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed by Android device users who accused Google of secretly collecting mobile data in the background without their permission.

The allegations allege that this practice resulted in users' data charges, even when their devices were inactive.

The settlement, known as Taylor v. Google LLC, received preliminary court approval on March 9, 2026.

The agreement has the potential to provide payments of up to $100 per individual to millions of Android users in the United States who meet certain criteria.

Millions of Android users could be eligible for a payment under a $135 million class-action settlement over allegations that Google's operating system caused mobile devices to send data without users' permission. https://t.co/diQ8XYpZ0Z

— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 14, 2026

The class action lawsuit that led to this settlement accused Google of covertly collecting mobile data from Android devices.

The plaintiffs in Taylor v. Google LLC claimed that the Android operating system routinely transfers data to Google servers in the background, even when users are not actively using their devices.

This practice allegedly occurs without users' explicit consent, resulting in unintentional mobile data usage.

The lawsuit's primary allegation is that Google should have restricted this data transfer to only when devices are connected to a Wi-Fi network.

However, Google allegedly failed to enforce such restrictions, allowing data to continue flowing through users' cellular connections.

While Google denied all allegations and maintained that the data transfers benefited users, the company opted for a settlement.

The decision to settle the lawsuit for $135 million was made to avoid the costs of lengthy litigation and the uncertainty of a trial outcome.

As part of the agreement, Google also committed to making changes to its policies and settings, by updating the Google Play Terms of Service and the "Learn about Google Play services" help page to more clearly explain background mobile data usage.

To receive a portion of the $135 million Google settlement, individuals must meet a set of established eligibility criteria.

First, potential recipients must be individuals living and domiciled in the United States.

Second, the individual must have used an Android mobile device equipped with a mobile data plan to access the internet.

Furthermore, the period of device usage is also a significant factor.

Users must have used the Android device any time between November 12, 2017, and the date of the final settlement approval.

Finally, it's important to note that individuals cannot be class members in the Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit.

The Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit is a similar lawsuit specifically aimed at California residents and resulted in a separate $350 million settlement.

The $135 million settlement will be distributed pro rata to eligible class members.

Each eligible individual is expected to receive a payment of up to $100, although the exact amount will vary depending on the total number of participating class members.

Approximately 100 million class members are estimated to be potentially eligible for this payment.

Eligible individuals will not need to file a claim form to receive payment.

Beginning April 3, 2026, class members can visit the official settlement website to select their preferred payment method.

Available options include Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, ACH transfer, or virtual Mastercard.

Although the payment method selection website will be live in April 2026, actual payment distribution will occur after final court approval and any appeals are resolved.

A final approval hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2026, and payments will be distributed after that date.