Ben Williams
Millions of Android users in the US could be entitled to a payment after Google agreed to a $135 million settlement in a lawsuit over alleged background data transfers on Android devices.
The case accused Google of causing Android phones to ‘transfer a variety of information’ to Google without users’ permission. Court filings also alleged those transfers happened ‘in the background, without any notice to the user, including when the phones are in a completely idle state’.
The lawsuit further claimed some of that activity could take place over a cellular connection, meaning users’ mobile data may have been consumed without them knowing.
Google has denied wrongdoing, but agreed to settle the case.
Advert
While the overall figure is eye-catching, it is not yet clear how much eligible users would actually receive. Any payout would be shared across a huge group of claimants, with reports like The Independent’s suggesting roughly 100 million people could fall within the settlement class.
By the New York Post’s estimates, citing mobile market share data that says there are around 117 million Android users in the US, payouts are likely to be incredibly small: approximately between $1 and $1.50 per user.
Part of the settlement fund would also go towards attorney fees, court costs, and other administrative expenses, meaning the full $135 million would not be distributed directly to users altogether, either.
The settlement applies to US residents who used an Android device with a cellular data plan at any point since 12 November 2017.
However, not everyone who meets that description will qualify. People who were included in the earlier California settlement tied to similar claims are excluded from this one.
A final approval hearing is scheduled for 23 June 2026. If the agreement is approved by the court, payments are expected to be made electronically.
For people wondering whether they are included, some class members have reportedly already been sent notice by post or email. Those notices are expected to include the information needed to move forward in the claims process.
Users who have received a notice can then follow the instructions provided to make a payment election. One report on the settlement said claimants may be asked to use the official settlement website and enter their Notice ID and confirmation code.
Anyone in the US who has not received a notice and is still unsure whether they are part of the settlement can contact the settlement administrator directly by calling 1-844-655-4255.