Well, looking at big tech companies and how they treat users nowadays, it looks like privacy isn’t there anymore, even when you disable features that allow them to track, the tech companies can still track you. That is pretty much the center point of this Google Web App Activity Lawsuit, and just keep on reading if you want your mind to be boggled by the sheer facts.
Background of the Case
When you disable the Web & App Activity in your Google account, what do you expect should happen next? Like, there shouldn’t be any more tracking from Google’s side, right? Well, this is pretty much what everyone expects, but is that the case, though? That’s the main question to ask here.
But, in actuality, this lawsuit is all about the fact that a statement made public in July 2020 stated that it was not the case at all. Yes, in reality, it means something else. And as per the details of the case, the plaintiffs clearly say that Google kept gathering their data regardless of the fact that the setting was disabled. Hence, it also covered data coming from non-Google apps.
And this wasn’t some mistake or the users getting the meaning of “turning off Web & App Activity,” nah, according to the plaintiffs, Google knowingly saves the info in what techies called “shadow accounts.” The data was then utilized to enhance products and boost advertising revenue. Basically, users thought they were private, but secretly, the tracking ran continuously in the background and without then even knowing about it all.
Legal Claims and Trial
Sure, when people expect so much security and privacy from such a big company and when things like this come out or the allegations are made, things must be taken seriously and that is what happend, like the lawsuit charged Google with violating user privacy and even “intrusion upon seclusion,” which is essentially going into one’s private area without giving any notice, in this case, consent.
The jurors realized these two issues but did not think that Google was deliberately harmful. In the counter, Google went on to say that it had sufficiently outlined its data practices in its privacy policy and the users should have read that first. The jury dismissed that argument since the members said that the settings were confusing and deceptive for average users.
The Verdict
This case didn’t go on for long, like, the jury handed down their decision in September 2025 after nearly three weeks of the trial. Google must fork over $425,651,947 to be divided between Android and non-Android users. And? Oh, as per the breakdown of it, about $247 million of the total went to Android users and $178 million to the rest of the group.
The plaintiffs had initially demanded a much higher sum, but the court decided on a figure it believed to be fair. Google made a statement that it was planning to challenge the decision in the court, saying the verdict was based on a faulty understanding of how its products work.
Appeal and Possible Compensation
See, it doesn’t mean that the verdict is out and everyone will get their share of the money, nah, see, because Google is appealing the decision, payments are currently on hold. The plaintiffs’ lawyers are also asking the court to increase the penalty to $2.36 billion, aiming to recover all profits linked to the collected data.
The class includes roughly 98 million users who:
- Had a personal Google account
- Turned off or paused Web & App Activity between July 2016 and September 2024
- Still had data collected through non-Google apps
And just so you know, in case the appeal fails, no doubt, eligible users may be able to file claims through an official settlement website. There will be one!
