Google ordered to pay $425.7 million in damages for improperly tracking smartphone activity

A federal jury has ruled that Google must pay $425.7 million for illegally monitoring people’s smartphones over a nearly ten-year period.

The verdict, delivered in San Francisco federal court on Wednesday, culminated a class-action case involving approximately 98 million smartphones in the United States from July 1, 2016, to September 23, 2024. This amounts to roughly $4 per device in damages.

Despite Google’s denial of any wrongdoing in tracking individuals’ online activities, the jury found the tech giant guilty of violating California privacy laws by intruding on users’ privacy.

“This ruling misinterprets the functionality of our products, and we intend to appeal,” stated Google spokesman Jose Castaneda. “Our privacy tools empower users to control their data, and we respect their decision when they opt out of personalization.”

The attorneys representing the case alleged that Google utilized smartphone data without consent to enhance targeted advertising, resulting in substantial revenue gains. They characterized these ad sales as unlawful profit-making, seeking damages exceeding $30 billion.

While the jury awarded significantly lower damages, one of the attorneys, John Yanchunis from Morgan & Morgan, praised the outcome as a win for safeguarding privacy.

“We trust that this verdict conveys a clear message to the tech industry that Americans will not tolerate the unauthorized collection and exploitation of their information,” Yanchunis remarked.

The San Francisco jury’s decision came shortly after Google evaded an antitrust breakup attempt by the U.S. Department of Justice in a landmark case in Washington, D.C., targeting its search engine monopoly. Instead of a breakup, the court mandated less drastic measures, such as sharing search data with competitors.