Google is set to face trial over a class action lawsuit accusing the company of collecting user data despite users opting out of online tracking. The case moved forward after the company failed to have it dismissed in court. Apple, which faced a similar lawsuit, settled last week, while Google is continuing to fight the charges.
Google Faces Trial on Data Collection Class Action Suit
U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg denied Google's motion to dismiss the class action privacy lawsuit, ruling that the company still collected user data and shared it with third parties. Ars Technica reported that the case centers around Google's Web & App Activity (WAA) feature, which allows users to disable tracking but allegedly continues to record activity on both Android and non-Android devices. The plaintiffs in the case claim they opted out of tracking but their data was still collected and shared by Google.
The lawsuit involves two subclasses of users — Android and non-Android — who turned off tracking settings to protect their privacy but were still tracked by Google.
Motion Denied by Courts, Trial Starts This August
Judge Seeborg ruled that despite users opting out of WAA, their data was still sent to third-party app developers via Google Analytics for Firebase (GA4F). In contrast, Apple settled its similar case for $95 million last week, although it denied allegations of selling or sharing user data.
Google now faces a jury trial, which is scheduled to begin in August 2025 in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
Google and Their Infamous Tracking Issues
This is not the first privacy lawsuit for Google. In January 2024, the company agreed to destroy billions of data records after losing a privacy lawsuit that began in 2020. Over the years, Google has faced numerous investigations, probes, and fines for unauthorized data collection across its apps and platforms, including Gmail, Maps, and Android.
The company has pledged to phase out web cookie tracking via its browser, though delays have occurred due to ongoing regulatory scrutiny. This upcoming trial adds to the growing list of challenges Google faces concerning its user data practices.
