
Jury says Google must pay California Android smartphone users $314.6m
The jury agreed with the plaintiffs that Alphabet's Google was liable for sending and receiving information from the devices without permission while they were idle, causing what the lawsuit had called 'mandatory and unavoidable burdens shouldered by Android device users for Google's benefit'.
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in a statement that the company would appeal, and that the verdict 'misunderstands services that are critical to the security, performance, and reliability of Android devices'.
The plaintiffs' attorney Glen Summers said the verdict 'forcefully vindicates the merits of this case and reflects the seriousness of Google's misconduct'.
The plaintiffs filed the class action in state court in 2019 on behalf of an estimated 14 million Californians. They argued that Google collected information from idle phones running its Android operating system for company uses like targeted advertising, consuming Android users' cellular data at their expense.
Google told the court that no Android users were harmed by the data transfers and that users consented to them in the company's terms of service and privacy policies.
Another group filed a separate lawsuit in federal court in San Jose, bringing the same claims against Google on behalf of Android users in the other 49 states. That case is scheduled for trial in April 2026.

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Reuters
20 minutes ago
- Reuters
Exclusive: Google makes new proposal to stave off EU antitrust fine, document shows
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The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
University of Virginia president resigned after ‘pressure campaign' from Trump admin to remove him from post
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The UVA's Board of Visitors voted unanimously to shut down its DEI offices in March but Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department's civil rights division, went on to write to Ryan on April 28 notifying him about the complaints regarding his leadership. That was followed by another letter on June 17 that warned the administrator: 'Time is running short, and the department's patience is wearing thin.' Ryan's resignation letter last week made clear that he felt he faced an ultimatum: step down or cost the university millions of dollars in vital support. 'While there are very important principles at play here, I would at a very practical level be fighting to keep my job for one more year while knowingly and willingly sacrificing others in this community,' he wrote. Dhillon, who happens to be an alumna of the UVA School of Law, responded to his ousting by saying: 'The United States Department of Justice has a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal discrimination in publicly-funded universities. We have made this clear in many ways to the nation's most prominent institutions of higher education, including the University of Virginia. 'When university leaders lack commitment to ending illegal discrimination in hiring, admissions, and student benefits – they expose the institutions they lead to legal and financial peril. We welcome leadership changes in higher education that signal institutional commitment to our nation's venerable federal civil rights laws.' A spokesperson for the university said: 'UVA is committed to complying with all federal laws and has been cooperating with the Department of Justice in the ongoing inquiries. The federal government's support of the university is essential to continue the core mission of research, education and clinical care.' Two of the state's Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, have since leapt to Ryan's defense, declaring in a joint statement: 'It is outrageous that officials in the Trump Department of Justice demanded the Commonwealth's globally recognized university remove President Ryan – a strong leader who has served UVA honorably and moved the university forward – over ridiculous 'culture war' traps. 'Decisions about UVA's leadership belong solely to its Board of Visitors, in keeping with Virginia's well-established and respected system of higher education governance. This is a mistake that hurts Virginia's future.' Warner also spoke up for Ryan on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday morning, telling anchor Margaret Brennan: 'This is the most outrageous action, I think, this crowd has taken on education. 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Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Microsoft to cut 9,000 jobs as chatbots take over
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