Jury finds Google liable for covert data collection from idle Android phones, awards US$314m to California users
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. — Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
44 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Trump targets 12 countries with new US import tariffs as 90-day suspension nears end
WASHINGTON, July 5 — US President Donald Trump said he had signed letters to 12 countries outlining the various tariff levels they would face on goods they export to the United States, with the 'take it or leave it' offers to be sent out on Monday. Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he travelled to New Jersey, declined to name the countries involved, saying that would be made public on Monday. Trump had earlier on Thursday told reporters that he expected a first batch of letters to go out on Friday, a national holiday in the United States, though the date has now shifted. In a global trade war that has unsettled financial markets and forced policymakers to protect their economies, Trump in April announced a 10 per cent base tariff rate and additional amounts for most countries, some reaching as high as 50 per cent. However, all but the 10 per cent base rate were later suspended for 90 days to allow time for negotiations to secure trade deals. That suspension period ends on 9 July, although Trump said early on Friday that the tariffs could go even higher — up to 70 per cent — with most set to take effect on 1 August. 'I signed some letters and they'll go out on Monday, probably twelve,' Trump said, when asked about his tariff plans. 'Different amounts of money, different amounts of tariffs.' Trump and his top aides initially said they would launch negotiations with many countries on tariff rates, but the US president has since grown disillusioned with that process after repeated setbacks with major trading partners, including Japan and the European Union. He briefly addressed that late on Friday, telling reporters: 'The letters are better ... much easier to send a letter.' He did not comment on his earlier prediction that broader trade agreements could be reached before the 9 July deadline. The shift in the White House's strategy highlights the difficulties of concluding trade agreements covering both tariff and non-tariff barriers, such as bans on agricultural imports, especially within a short timeframe. Most trade agreements in the past have taken years to finalise. The only completed trade agreements so far are with Britain, which reached a deal in May to maintain a 10 per cent rate and secured preferential treatment for some sectors including autos and aircraft engines, and with Vietnam, which saw tariffs on many Vietnamese goods cut to 20 per cent from a previously threatened 46 per cent, while many US products would be allowed into Vietnam duty free. A deal expected with India has yet to materialise, and EU diplomats on Friday said they had failed to achieve a breakthrough in talks with the Trump administration and may now seek to maintain the status quo to avoid tariff hikes. — Reuters
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Trump signs sweeping US tax and spending cuts into law amidst Fourth of July spectacle
WASHINGTON, July 5 — US President Donald Trump signed into law a massive package of tax and spending cuts at the White House on Friday, staging an outdoor ceremony on the Fourth of July holiday that took on the air of a Trump political rally. With military jets flying overhead and hundreds of supporters in attendance, Trump signed the bill one day after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly approved the signature legislation of the president's second term. The bill, which will fund Trump's immigration crackdown, make his 2017 tax cuts permanent, and is expected to knock millions of Americans off health insurance, was passed with a 218–214 vote after an emotional debate on the House floor. 'I've never seen people so happy in our country because of that, because so many different groups of people are being taken care of: the military, civilians of all types, jobs of all types,' Trump said at the ceremony, thanking House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune for leading the bill through the two houses of Congress. 'So you have the biggest tax cut, the biggest spending cut, the largest border security investment in American history,' Trump said. Trump scheduled the ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House for the 4 July Independence Day holiday, replete with a flypast by stealth bombers and fighter jets like those that took part in the recent US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran. Hundreds of Trump supporters attended, including White House aides, members of Congress, and military families. After a speech that included boastful claims about the ascendance of America on his watch, Trump signed the bill, posed for pictures with Republican congressional leaders and members of his cabinet, and waded through the crowd of happy supporters. The bill's passage amounts to a big win for Trump and his Republican allies, who have argued it will boost economic growth, while largely dismissing a nonpartisan analysis predicting it will add more than US$3 trillion (RM12.7 trillion)) to the nation's US$36.2 trillion debt. While some lawmakers in Trump's party expressed concerns over the bill's price tag and its hit to healthcare programmes, in the end just two of the House's 220 Republicans voted against it, joining all 212 Democrats in opposition. The tense standoff over the bill included a record-long floor speech by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who spoke for eight hours and 46 minutes, blasting the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy that would strip low-income Americans of federally-backed health insurance and food aid benefits. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin predicted the law would cost Republicans votes in congressional elections in 2026. 'Today, Donald Trump sealed the fate of the Republican Party, cementing them as the party for billionaires and special interests – not working families,' Martin said in a statement. 'This legislation will hang around the necks of the GOP for years to come. This was a full betrayal of the American people. Today, we are putting Republicans on notice: you will lose your majority.' — Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
16 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
US to restrict AI chip shipments to Malaysia, Thailand
The US has effectively banned sales of Nvidia's advanced AI processors to China. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : President Donald Trump's administration plans to restrict shipments of AI chips from the likes of Nvidia Corp to Malaysia and Thailand, part of an effort to crack down on suspected semiconductor smuggling into China. A draft rule from the commerce department seeks to prevent China – to which the US has effectively banned sales of Nvidia's advanced AI processors – from obtaining those components through intermediaries in the two Southeast Asian nations, according to people familiar with the matter. The rule is not yet finalised and could still change, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. Officials plan to pair the Malaysia and Thailand controls with a formal rescission of global curbs from the so-called AI diffusion rule, the people said. That framework from the end of president Joe Biden's term drew objections from US allies and tech companies, including Nvidia. Washington would maintain semiconductor restrictions targeting China – imposed in 2022 and ramped up several times since – as well as more than 40 other countries covered by a 2023 measure, which Biden officials designed to address smuggling concerns and increase visibility into key markets. All told, the regulation would mark the first formal step in Trump's promised overhaul of his predecessor's AI diffusion approach – after the commerce department said in May that it would supplant that Biden rule with its own 'bold, inclusive strategy'. But the draft measure is far from a comprehensive replacement, the people said. It doesn't answer, for example, questions about security conditions for the use of US chips in overseas data centres – a debate with particularly high stakes for the Middle East. It's unclear whether Trump officials may ultimately regulate AI chip shipments to a wider swath of countries, beyond the Malaysia and Thailand additions. The commerce department didn't respond to a request for comment. The agency has offered few specifics about its regulatory vision beyond what secretary Howard Lutnick told lawmakers last month: The US will 'allow our allies to buy AI chips, provided they're run by an approved American data centre operator, and the cloud that touches that data centre is an approved American operator', he said during congressional testimony. Nvidia, the dominant maker of AI chips, declined to comment, while spokesmen for the Thai and Malaysian governments didn't respond. Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang had previously said there's 'no evidence' of AI chip diversion, in general remarks that didn't touch on any particular country. In response to earlier Bloomberg queries about curbs focused on smuggling risks, Thailand said it's awaiting details, while Malaysia's ministry of investment, trade and industry said clear and consistent policies are essential for the tech sector. Washington officials for years have debated which countries should be able to import American AI chips – and under what conditions. On one hand, the world wants Nvidia hardware, and US policymakers want the world to build AI systems using American technology – before China can offer a compelling alternative. On the other, once those semiconductors leave American and allied shores, US officials worry the chips could somehow make their way to China, or that Chinese AI companies could benefit from remote access to data centres outside the Asian country. Southeast Asia is a key focus. Companies including Oracle Corp are investing aggressively in data centres in Malaysia, and trade data shows that chip shipments there have surged in recent months. Under pressure from Washington, Malaysian officials have pledged to closely scrutinise those imports, but the commerce department's draft rule indicates the US still has concerns. Semiconductor sales to Malaysia also are a focal point of a court case in neighbouring Singapore, where prosecutors have charged three men with defrauding customers about the ultimate destination of AI servers – originally shipped from the island nation to Malaysia – that may have contained advanced Nvidia chips. Nvidia is not the subject of Singapore's investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing. The export curbs on Malaysia and Thailand would include several measures to ease pressure on companies with significant business operations there, people familiar with the matter said. One provision would allow firms headquartered in the US and a few dozen friendly nations to continue shipping AI chips to both countries, without seeking a license, for a few months after the rule is published, people familiar with the matter said. The licence requirements also would still include certain exemptions to prevent supply chain disruptions, the people said. Many semiconductor companies rely on Southeast Asian facilities for crucial manufacturing steps like packaging, the process of encasing chips for use in devices.
