Federal Jury Orders Google to Pay $425.7 Million for Privacy Violations

A federal jury has mandated that Google pay $425.7 million in damages for improperly monitoring users’ smartphones over nearly a decade. This verdict, delivered on Wednesday in a San Francisco federal court, stems from a class-action lawsuit involving approximately 98 million smartphones in the United States. The intrusion period is defined as spanning from July 1, 2016 to September 23, 2024. This ruling translates to about $4 per device.

The jury’s decision came after a trial lasting over two weeks. Google consistently denied allegations of tracking online activity of users who believed they had engaged privacy controls. Despite the jury’s conclusion that Google violated California privacy laws, the tech giant’s spokesperson, Jose Castaneda, stated, “This decision misunderstands how our products work, and we will appeal it. Our privacy tools give people control over their data, and when they turn off personalization, we honor that choice.”

The plaintiffs argued that Google collected data from smartphones without user consent to sell targeted advertisements, thereby generating billions in additional revenue. They sought damages exceeding $30 billion, framing the ad sales as illegal profiteering. Although the jury awarded far less than requested, attorney John Yanchunis from the law firm Morgan & Morgan characterized the outcome as a significant victory for privacy rights.

Yanchunis expressed hope that the ruling would signal to the tech industry that individuals would not tolerate unauthorized collection and monetization of their personal information. He stated, “We hope this result sends a message to the tech industry that Americans will not sit idly by as their information is collected and monetized against their will.”

This verdict arrives shortly after Google successfully defended itself against the U.S. Department of Justice’s attempts to dismantle the company in a separate antitrust case. A federal judge determined that while Google’s search engine constitutes an illegal monopoly, the proposed remedies would not include drastic measures, such as breaking up the company. Instead, the court mandated that Google share some of its search data with competitors.

The outcome of both the privacy and antitrust cases illustrates the heightened scrutiny tech giants face regarding their business practices and data usage. As legal challenges continue, the implications for consumer privacy and corporate responsibility remain significant.