100 Million People Could Qualify for a Piece of Google’s $135 Million Settlement. Here’s What to Know

An estimated 100 million people may qualify to receive payments through the $135 million deal Google has reached to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of transferring Android users’ data without their permission. 

The class-action lawsuit alleged that Google “designed the Android operating system to collect vast amounts of information about its users” and thereby “effectively forces these users to subsidize its surveillance by secretly programming Android devices to constantly transmit user information to Google in real time.”

The plaintiffs claimed that Google collected data through their Androids in this way even when they took actions like closing apps or disabling location-sharing.

They argued that this data collection constituted a crime known as “conversion,” which occurs when one party takes another’s property with the intent to deprive them of it.

Google has denied any wrongdoing, but agreed to pay the $135 million settlement in January. 

Read more: Google Shifts to AI Search, Heralding Major Change in How People Use the Internet

The settlement has received the court’s preliminary approval, but is still awaiting a final green light. A final approval hearing in the case is scheduled for June 23.

Here’s how to know if you would qualify for payment under the settlement and, if so, what you need to do to claim a portion of it.

Who is eligible for the settlement?

You may be eligible for payment under Google’s settlement if you are a U.S. resident and used an Android device with a cellular data plan at any point since Nov. 12, 2017, according to the settlement. 

Even if you are among that group, however, you would not be eligible if you were compensated in a previous $350 million Google settlement in a similar lawsuit that included only California residents. 

If you aren’t sure whether you qualify, you can visit the settlement website, which includes instructions on how to reach out to check, or to ask other questions, in its FAQ section. 

How much money could claimants receive?

Each person who qualifies for the settlement would be paid the same amount. The settlement funds would also be used for administrative costs, legal fees, and taxes, which could reduce the size of those payments. 

That means that, based on the estimate that 100 million people are eligible for the settlement, each one could be set to receive just over one dollar. 

How to claim payment

If you are qualified for the settlement, you will be issued payment even if you do nothing. However, the settlement website warns, you “run the risk of not receiving a payment from this Settlement” if you do not go through the process of selecting a payment method.

You can make that election through an online form on the settlement website. Those eligible for payment should receive a “personalized notice” through the mail or email, including a “Notice ID” and a confirmation code, which can then be entered to access the form.

How to opt out of the settlement

Though final approval of the settlement is still pending, the deadline for those who are qualified to exclude themselves from or object to the settlement is coming up later this week, on Friday, May 29. 

If you wish to exclude yourself from being part of the settlement—and thereby from getting paid—you must send a signed letter to Federal Cellular Class Action with the request.  Objections to the settlement can also be sent by mail, or electronically. Submitting an objection, unlike asking to be excluded, will not preclude you from receiving payment.

Information about how to submit those requests and what information must be included is detailed on the settlement website.