Alphabet’s Google has been ordered to pay $425 million after a US federal jury ruled that the company violated users’ privacy by collecting data even when tracking was disabled.
The decision, delivered in San Francisco on Wednesday, followed a trial examining claims that Google continued gathering data over an eight-year period despite assurances given under its Web & App Activity setting. According to the lawsuit, millions of users who had switched off tracking found their data was still accessed, stored, and used.
The plaintiffs, who had been seeking more than $31 billion in damages, alleged that Google’s conduct breached its own privacy commitments. The jury concluded that Google was liable for two out of three claims but determined the company had not acted with malice, ruling out punitive damages.
Google has confirmed it will challenge the verdict. “This decision misunderstands how our products work,” said spokesperson Jose Castaneda. “Our privacy tools give people control over their data, and when they turn off personalization, we honor that choice.”
Representing the users, lawyer David Boies said in response that they were pleased with the jury’s verdict.
The class action, originally filed in July 2020, accused Google of continuing to collect information even when the tracking setting was disabled. This included data gathered through partnerships with apps such as Uber, Venmo, and Meta’s Instagram, which relied on Google’s analytics services.
During the trial, Google argued the data in question was “nonpersonal, pseudonymous, and stored in segregated, secured, and encrypted locations.” The company maintained that it was not tied to individuals or their Google accounts.
The case was certified as a class action by U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg, covering around 98 million Google users and 174 million devices.
This is not the first time Google has faced scrutiny over privacy. Earlier this year, it paid nearly $1.4 billion to settle allegations in Texas that it breached state privacy laws. In April 2024, Google also agreed to delete billions of records linked to users’ private browsing after being accused of tracking activity in “Incognito” mode.
