A federal jury in San Francisco ruled on Wednesday that Google must pay $425 million in damages for allegedly collecting user data despite privacy settings being disabled. The class action lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused the tech giant of tracking millions of users through third-party apps like Uber and Instagram over an eight-year period, even when their Web & App Activity feature was turned off.
While the jury found Google liable for two privacy violation claims, it determined the company did not act with "malice," barring punitive damages. Plaintiffs had initially sought over $31 billion in compensation.
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda stated the company plans to appeal, arguing the verdict "misunderstands how our products work." He emphasized that Google's tools allow users to control data personalization. Meanwhile, plaintiffs' attorney David Boies called the decision a "significant step toward corporate accountability."
The case, certified by U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg, covers approximately 98 million users and 174 million devices. This ruling follows Google's $1.4 billion settlement with Texas earlier this year and a separate April 2024 agreement to delete billions of private browsing records collected via "Incognito" mode.
Legal experts suggest the verdict could reshape how tech companies handle user consent globally, particularly in Asia's rapidly evolving digital markets where data privacy remains a pressing concern for businesses and regulators alike.
