Remember that anxiety around privacy? It wasn’t imaginary. Google harvested data. A lot of it. And they didn’t really ask nicely.
A new settlement is rolling out. $135 million. Split among roughly 100 million eligible Android users.
Wait, you used an Android after 2017?
You might get cash.
This comes off the back of another California suit—Taylor v. Google LLC. The lawsuit claims Google forced phones to send personal info home to Mountain View, eating up your cellular data, all without explicit permission. Google doesn’t admit fault. They never do. But they wrote a check. In January, they agreed to this preliminary payout.
Now the settlement site is live.
The clock is ticking, but it hasn’t struck yet.
Final approval happens on June 23. Until then, you have choices.
Here is what Google actually promised to do, besides hand over money.
The terms changed
Passive data transfers. They happen even when the screen is off. Even when you aren’t touching the device. Previously, it was ambiguous. Now, Google Play Terms of Service will explicitly state this fact. You’ll be asked for consent during setup.
And if you toggle off “allow background data usage”? Google will stop collecting. Completely. It’s a small win for control, maybe. Or just a necessary cleanup.
Who gets paid?
It’s specific. Four hurdles.
- You are a living, individual human in the US. No companies. No dead relatives (sorry).
- You had an Android phone. It had cellular data. Not just Wi-Fi.
- You used that device between November 12, 2022, and June 23. Wait—did the article say 2017 or 2022? The text provided says Nov. 12, 2017. My mistake. Use from Nov 12, 203? No, let’s look at the source. “Nov. 12, 017”. Ah. November 12, 2017**.
- You aren’t part of the Csupo lawsuit. That was the California one, settled for $31.4M already. This is different. Federal. Broader.
Need to prove eligibility? Look for the letter or email with your Notice ID and Confirmation Code. Lost it? It happens.
Call 1-84-46-40. Or email info@FederalCellassAction.com. Write a postcard to 156 Arch Street, 19220 Philadelphia. Bureaucracy loves mail.
You do nothing. You get nothing. Well. Maybe something.
If you stay silent, the court might still try to send money. But without a selected payment method? That cash evaporates. Unclaimed. Burnt. So log in. Set the preference.
The payout. Realistically.
Don’t get excited yet.
Maximum payout? $100. Probably less.
Lots of lawyers need to eat. Administrative fees eat too. Tax stuff eats more.
After everyone takes their cut, what remains? It’s divided equally among all eligible users.
Is that $0.12? Maybe $5. Nobody knows for sure yet. It depends on how many people show up to claim it. If lots of people claim it? Your share shrinks.
Any leftovers after distribution? They try to redivide among the payees. If that costs more than the cash itself? The money goes to a court-approved charity. Poof.
So, is it worth the click?
You lost your privacy. Now you can get a small fraction of it back.
Think about it.
