Have a Google Account? A Jury Found Google Kept Collecting App Data After Users Switched Tracking Off
A San Francisco jury awarded $425 million to two classes of Google users. Here's what the case was about, who may be eligible, and how to check where you stand.
If you have a Google account, you've probably seen the setting. It's called Web & App Activity. Turn it off, and you'd think Google stops saving what you do.
Millions of people turned it off.
A federal jury found that Google kept collecting data from many of them anyway.1
On September 3, 2025, that jury awarded $425 million to the users in the case.2
That's not a settlement Google chose to pay. It's a jury verdict, reached after a trial. Here's what happened, and how to find out if you may be part of it.
What the lawsuit was about
The case is called Rodriguez v. Google. It was tried in federal court in San Francisco.1
It centers on two Google settings. One is Web & App Activity. The other is a sub-setting some call "supplemental" Web & App Activity.3
Here's the part most people never knew.
Lots of apps on your phone aren't made by Google. But many of them carry small pieces of Google code inside them. Developers add that code to run analytics and ads. Two of the big ones are called Firebase and Google Mobile Ads.4
The plaintiffs said that code kept sending app activity to Google, even when the user had switched the setting off. They named apps like Uber, Venmo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp as examples of apps that carry the code.4
Think of it like asking a store to stop tracking you. Then finding out its staff worked in the shops next door and kept reporting back.
Google denied the claims.3
What the jury decided
The trial ran nearly three weeks. The jury deliberated for about 10 hours over two days.5
It found Google liable on two of the three privacy claims. Those were invasion of privacy and intrusion upon seclusion.1,6
The award was split in two:
- About $247.2 million to Android users (Class 1)
- About $178.5 million to non-Android users, like iPhone (Class 2)6
Google tried to get the verdict thrown out. On August 28, 2026, the judge refused.7
The court then entered an amended final judgment. It adds interest on top of the jury's award.6
So the verdict is real. It survived. And it's still moving.
Where the case stands right now
Here's the honest part, because you'll hear a lot of noise about this one.
Google has appealed to the Ninth Circuit.7
Under the judgment, Google pays after the appeal is finally resolved.8
The official case site says no money is available yet. If money becomes available later, potential class members will be notified and told how to make a claim.9
That means anyone telling you "Google owes you $X" today is guessing. We won't do that.
What you can do is find out whether you may be in the class. Here's who that covers.
Who may be eligible
The court certified two nationwide classes. You may be eligible if all of this fits you:
- You had a Google account at some point between July 1, 2016 and September 23, 2024
- During that time, you had Web & App Activity or supplemental Web & App Activity turned off or paused, at least once
- You used non-Google apps on a phone or tablet, and that activity was still sent to Google through Firebase or Google Mobile Ads code
- Android users fall in Class 1. Non-Android users, like iPhone and iPad, fall in Class 210
For the privacy claims the jury ruled on, the court excluded people who only had an "Enterprise" account (one run by a school or employer). It also excluded supervised accounts made for kids under 13.11
Not sure if you ever turned the setting off? You're not alone. Most people flipped it years ago and forgot.
One clue: based on Google's records, notices were emailed to people whose settings were off or paused at least once in that window.12 Search your inbox for "Rodriguez v. Google." If it's there, that's a strong sign you may be eligible.
Why it's worth checking
You turned that setting off for a reason. You wanted your activity left alone.
A jury agreed that the setting should have meant something. Real law firms took this to trial. A federal judge has now refused to toss the result.13,7
You don't need to read court filings. You don't need to decode the class definition alone. You just need to know whether you may be eligible.
Owed helps you check.
FAQ
Is this a Gmail lawsuit?
No. It's about Google's Web & App Activity settings and app data sent through Google code in non-Google apps. You don't need a Gmail address specifically. What matters is your Google account settings and app use.3
Is this a settlement?
No. It's a jury verdict, reached after a trial in September 2025. Google did not agree to pay. A court ordered it.3,14
How much will I get?
Nobody can say yet, and you should be wary of anyone who does. The $425 million is the total the jury awarded to two classes. It is not a per-person amount. Under the judgment, court-ordered deductions come out first, and a plan for paying class members comes later.14
Can I file a claim today?
Not for this case. The official site says no money is available yet. If that changes, class members will be notified and told how to claim.9
Do I need Owed to be part of the class?
No. If you meet the class definition, you're part of it whether or not you use Owed.10 Owed helps you check if you may be eligible.
Why haven't I heard about this?
The case ran for years, and notices went out by email. Plenty of those landed in spam or were skimmed past. Search your inbox for "Rodriguez v. Google."12
I use an iPhone. Does this apply to me?
It may. Class 2 covers people on non-Android devices, like iPhones and iPads.10
What if my account was through work or school?
For the privacy claims the jury ruled on, accounts that were only "Enterprise" accounts were excluded. A personal Google account is what counts here.15