A federal jury in San Francisco ruled that Google must pay $425 million for invading users’ privacy, according to reports. The case centered on claims that the company kept collecting data from millions of people who had turned off a key tracking setting.

The class action said Google still accessed, saved, and used information even when “Web & App Activity” was switched off. The alleged collection happened over years and through relationships with popular apps that used Google’s analytics tools.

Jurors found Google liable on two of three privacy claims. They did not find malice, which means no punitive damages on top of the award. Google said it will appeal the decision.

Google argued at trial that the data in question was nonpersonal and pseudonymous. The company also said the information was stored in segregated, secured, and encrypted systems. It claimed the data was not tied to named accounts or individual identities.

A Google spokesperson pushed back hard after the verdict. “This decision misunderstands how our products work. Our privacy tools give people control over their data, and when they turn off personalization, we honor that choice,” Jose Castaneda said. The appeal now becomes Google’s next move.

The certified class is huge. A federal judge approved a class covering roughly 98 million users and about 174 million devices. The lawsuit was filed several years ago and pointed to activity spanning roughly eight years.

Plaintiffs originally sought far more. They asked for damages in the tens of billions, a number the jury did not accept. Even so, a $425 million award is a major hit and a warning shot to platforms that say one thing in settings and do another in practice.

The complaint focused on Google’s “Web & App Activity” control inside user accounts. Turning it off was supposed to stop certain tracking and personalization. Plaintiffs said Google kept collecting through partner apps like Uber, Venmo, and Instagram by using embedded analytics services.

This is not the first time Google’s data practices have been in the crosshairs. Earlier this year, the company agreed to destroy billions of private browsing records to settle claims tied to “Incognito” tracking. It also paid nearly $1.4 billion to settle a separate privacy case with a state government.

The pattern is clear: users expect honesty and real control, not hidden pipelines. If a switch says “off,” it needs to be off. Courts are starting to back that common-sense view with real money.

For families, small businesses, and everyday users, the stakes are simple. Your phone should not act like a spy when you say no. Your apps should not feed data into a black box after you opt out. Clear rules and plain language matter.

The tech giants say they anonymize and secure data. But jurors heard evidence and decided the promises did not match the behavior in this case. That gap is why this verdict landed and why others may follow.

Conservatives have warned for years that Big Tech profits from tracking while drowning users in confusing settings. This case shows a path to rein in the worst habits: enforce the rules, demand transparency, and punish companies that play word games with privacy.

The Trump era has brought sharper scrutiny to powerful institutions that once seemed untouchable. Voters want accountability, not excuses. When courts, lawmakers, and consumers pull in the same direction, even the biggest firms have to change.

Google’s appeal will test how far this ruling reaches. But the message has already been sent across the Valley. If you track people after they opt out, you will pay. That’s a victory for user choice — and a reminder that Big Tech doesn’t get to write the rules anymore.