Federal jury orders Google to pay $425m for tracking users after privacy settings turned off

SAN FRANCISCO: A federal jury has ruled that Alphabet’s Google to pay $425m(million) must in damages for violating user privacy by collecting data even after people switched off a key tracking feature in their Google accounts.

Federal jury orders Google to pay $425m for tracking users after privacy settings turned off

The decision came after a trial in San Francisco federal court, where users alleged that Google secretly gathered data from their mobile devices over an eight-year period. The collection allegedly continued despite users disabling the Web and App Activity setting, which Google had promoted as a way to limit tracking.

While the jury found Google liable on two out of three privacy claims, it did not conclude that the company acted with malice. As a result, no punitive damages were awarded.

Google’s Response

Google has already signaled its intention to appeal.

“This decision misunderstands how our products work,” said Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda. “Our privacy tools give people control over their data, and when they turn off personalisation, we honor that choice.”

Key Takeaways

• A US federal jury ruled that Google must pay $425 million for privacy violations.

• The company collected user data even after users disabled the Web & App Activity setting.

• The lawsuit, filed in 2020, covered 98 million users and 174 million devices.

• No punitive damages were awarded, but Google plans to appeal the decision.

Plaintiffs’ Reaction

Lawyer David Boies, representing the users, welcomed the outcome:

“We are obviously very pleased with the verdict the jury returned.”

The lawsuit, originally filed in July 2020, sought more than $31 billion in damages.

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Case Background

The class action covered nearly 98 million Google users and 174 million devices. Plaintiffs argued that Google still harvested user data through third-party apps such as Uber, Venmo, and Instagram, which rely on Google analytics services.

Google countered that the data was nonpersonal, pseudonymous, and stored securely in encrypted locations — not tied to individuals or their accounts.

Previous Privacy Cases Against Google

This is not the first time Google has faced scrutiny over user privacy:

• In April 2024, Google agreed to delete billions of private browsing records to settle claims it tracked users in “Incognito mode.”
• Earlier this year, the company paid $1.4 billion to settle allegations in Texas over violations of the state’s privacy laws.

FAQs on the Google Privacy Verdict

1. What was Google found guilty of?
The jury ruled that Google violated privacy by continuing to collect user data even when users turned off the Web and App Activity tracking setting.

2. How much will Google have to pay?
Google was ordered to pay $425 million in damages.

3. Will there be punitive damages?
No. The jury decided that Google did not act with malice, so no additional punitive damages were awarded.

4. How many people were affected by this case?
The class action covered about 98 million users and 174 million devices.

5. Has Google faced similar lawsuits before?
Yes. Google has settled multiple privacy-related cases, including a $1.4 billion settlement in Texas and an agreement to destroy Incognito mode browsing data in 2024.