Big Tech companies think they can spy on Americans without consequences.
They’ve been getting away with it for years while lying to your face about "privacy controls."
But Google just got hit with one punishment that should terrify every Big Tech CEO.
Google caught red-handed spying on 98 million Americans
A federal jury in San Francisco delivered a crushing blow to Google, ordering the tech giant to pay $425.7 million for illegally spying on users who thought they had turned off tracking.¹
The case covered roughly 98 million users in the U.S. between July 1, 2016, and Sept. 23, 2024.
These weren’t people who agreed to be tracked.
These were Americans who specifically went into their Google accounts and turned OFF the tracking features because they wanted privacy.
Google kept spying on them anyway.
For eight straight years.
The jury found that Google violated California privacy laws by collecting data on people who had explicitly told the company to stop.
Google’s response?
They’re claiming this was all just a big misunderstanding.
"This decision misunderstands how our products work," Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda told Reuters. "Our privacy tools give people control over their data, and when they turn off personalization, we honor that choice."¹
Really?
If you "honor that choice," then why did a jury just order you to pay nearly half a billion dollars for NOT honoring it?
Google’s pathetic defense falls apart under scrutiny
During the trial, Google tried to claim the data they collected was "nonpersonal, pseudonymous, and stored in segregated, secured, and encrypted locations."¹
In other words: "Sure, they spied on you, but they were really careful about how they organized the spy data."
The company insisted this information wasn’t connected to users’ Google accounts or personal identities.
But here’s the thing – if the data was so harmless and anonymous, why were they collecting it from people who specifically told them not to?
And why fight so hard to keep doing it?
The class action lawsuit was filed back in July 2020, which means Google has been battling in court for years rather than just admitting they screwed up and stopping the surveillance.¹
That tells you everything you need to know about how valuable this "anonymous" data really was to them.
Lawyer David Boies, who represented the users, said his team was "obviously very pleased with the verdict the jury returned."¹
As they should be.
Look, here’s what’s really happening with Big Tech surveillance
You want to know why this verdict matters so much?
Because Google isn’t some rogue actor here – they’re the blueprint for how Big Tech operates.
They all do this same song and dance.
First, they give you "privacy controls" and make a big show about how much they respect your choices.
Then they find ways to collect your data anyway, usually through some technical loophole they don’t bother explaining to regular users.
When they get caught, they claim it was all a misunderstanding and promise to do better.
But they keep the data and keep fighting in court rather than actually changing their behavior.
Google has already announced they’re appealing this verdict, which means they’re still not admitting they did anything wrong.¹
This is the same company that agreed to pay nearly $1.4 billion to Texas earlier this year for violating state privacy laws.¹
Last year, they had to destroy billions of data records and settle another lawsuit for tracking people in "Incognito" mode – you know, the mode that’s supposed to keep your browsing private.¹
See the pattern?
They get caught, pay a fine, promise to reform, and then get caught doing the exact same thing somewhere else.
The real cost of Big Tech’s surveillance economy
Here’s what should make you furious about this whole situation.
For eight years, Google was making money off data from 98 million Americans who explicitly told them not to collect it.
Think about that for a second.
You go into your settings, you turn off tracking, you think you’re protecting your privacy – and the whole time, they’re still watching everything you do and profiting from it.
That’s not a technical glitch or a misunderstanding.
That’s a business model.
Google made $350 billion in revenue in 2024, mostly from advertising that’s powered by the personal data they collect about users.²
When people try to opt out, that threatens their revenue stream.
So they find ways around your privacy settings and hope you won’t notice.
The $425 million penalty sounds like a lot of money, but for Google, that’s pocket change.
They’ll make that back in about four days of normal operations.
The real victory here isn’t the money – it’s that a jury looked at Google’s behavior and said "this is illegal surveillance, and we’re not buying your excuses."
What this means for the future of privacy rights
This verdict sends a message that’s been a long time coming.
Big Tech companies can’t just ignore user privacy settings and then claim technical complexity as a defense.
When someone turns off tracking, that means turn it off.
Not "collect the data anyway and store it differently."
Not "gather anonymous information that’s somehow still valuable enough to fight a four-year court battle over."
Actually turn it off.
The fact that Google is appealing tells you they still don’t get it.
They’re more interested in protecting their surveillance business model than respecting their users’ clearly expressed wishes about privacy.
But the reality is – more states are passing stronger privacy laws, and more juries are willing to hold these companies accountable.
Google thought they could hide behind technical jargon and legal loopholes forever.
This week, 12 ordinary Americans looked at the evidence and said "not anymore."
That’s a start, but it’s just a start.
The real test will be whether Google actually changes how they operate, or whether they just treat this as another cost of doing business.
¹ Landon Mion, "Google to pay $425 million after years of improper spying on smartphone activity," Fox Business, September 5, 2025.
² Alphabet, "Alphabet Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2024 Results," SEC Filing, February 5, 2025.
