Google Play COPPA Settlement: $8.25M, File by Sept. 14
At a glance
- Status
- Open
- Defendant
- Google LLC / AdMob Google Inc.
- Settlement fund
- $8,250,000
- Claim deadline
- September 14, 2026
- No-proof cash option
- Yes — Pro rata cash payment to valid claimants from the Settlement Fund; no documentation required.
- Estimated payout
- Pro rata cash payment to valid claimants from the Settlement Fund; no documentation required.
- Administrator
- Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
- Official site
- www.coppaprivacyclassaction.com
- Court
- A.B., et al. v. Google LLC, et al., U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- Case number
- 5:23-cv-03101, No. 5:23-cv-03101
Last verified July 16, 2026
Key dates
| Milestone | Date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Claim deadline | September 14, 2026 | Last day to file for a payment |
| Opt-out (exclusion) deadline | August 4, 2026 | Last day to leave the settlement and keep the right to sue |
| Objection deadline | None listed | Last day to object to the terms |
| Final approval hearing | September 24, 2026 | When the judge decides whether to approve the settlement |
| Expected payout | Not yet scheduled | Payments are not sent until after final approval and any appeals |
Where to file
Google Play Children's Privacy (COPPA) Settlement is administered by Kroll Settlement Administration LLC. The only place to file is the official settlement website:
File at the official sitewww.coppaprivacyclassaction.com
Filing is free. No legitimate settlement charges a fee to file a claim.
You cannot file on RecordingLaw.com. We are an independent publisher, not the settlement administrator, and we are not affiliated with any court, agency, or defendant.
Google has agreed to pay $8.25 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of collecting personal information from children under 13 through apps on the Google Play Store, without first getting a parent's permission as federal law requires. The claim window is open now, and the deadline to file is September 14, 2026.
What the lawsuit alleges
The case, A.B., et al. v. Google LLC, et al., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and is numbered 5:23-cv-03101. It accuses Google LLC and its AdMob advertising subsidiary of collecting, using, and disclosing personal information from children under 13 through apps distributed on Google Play, without first obtaining verifiable parental consent, in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, known as COPPA.
COPPA is a federal law, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, that applies to websites and apps directed at children and to any operator that knows it is collecting data from a user under 13. It requires those operators to get a parent's verifiable consent before collecting that child's personal information, such as a name, location, or identifier used to track a device across apps. The lawsuit claims Google and AdMob did not meet that bar for the apps and time period at issue.
Google and AdMob deny the allegations and deny any wrongdoing. Like most class action settlements, this one resolves the case without either side admitting fault, in exchange for ending years of litigation.
Where the case stands right now
As of July 2026, the settlement has preliminary court approval and is in its claims period. The deadline to exclude yourself from the class or object to its terms is August 4, 2026.
The claim deadline is September 14, 2026, and the final approval hearing, where a judge decides whether to formally approve the deal, is set for September 24, 2026, ten days after the claim window closes. Because the claim deadline falls before that hearing, file by September 14 regardless of what happens at the hearing. Waiting on the judge's decision risks missing the claim window for nothing.
Who is covered by the settlement
The class is defined broadly. It covers anyone in the United States who was younger than 13 when they downloaded or used an app on the Google Play Store, at any point from April 1, 2015 through the present. There is no requirement that the app itself was marketed specifically to kids, and no list of specific apps to check against; the test is the user's age at the time, not which app it was.
Because the class window reaches back over a decade, it covers two different groups of people in practice. It covers families with a child who is currently under 13 and has used Google Play apps recently. It also covers people who were children on Google Play years ago and are adults now. Someone who was 11 years old in 2015 turns 22 in 2026, and would still potentially be a class member based on that earlier use.
A parent or guardian typically files the claim on behalf of a child who is still a minor. If you were the child in question and are now an adult, you can generally file for yourself. The official settlement site's FAQ page is the place to confirm exactly how to file depending on your situation, including what a parent needs to provide when claiming on a child's behalf.
How much you can realistically expect
There is no fixed dollar amount attached to this settlement, and no separate tier that pays more for documented losses. Every valid claimant receives a pro rata cash payment from the $8.25 million fund, and the settlement does not require documentation beyond the claim itself.
Pro rata means the fund is divided among everyone who files a valid claim, after court-approved fees, costs, and administration expenses are deducted. The more people who file, the smaller each individual payment; the fewer who file, the larger each payment. Nobody, including RecordingLaw.com, can tell you your exact payment before the claims window closes and that math is done.
How to file a claim
Filing happens only at the official settlement website. There is no cost to file, and the settlement's no-proof structure means confirming eligibility, not producing receipts or screenshots, is the main requirement.
If you are filing on behalf of a child, have the child's basic information ready and check the official FAQ page for the specific parental-filing steps, since most claims here will be filed by a parent rather than by the child directly. If anything on the form is unclear, the official site's FAQ page and administrator contact information are the right first stop.
Protecting a child's information beyond this settlement
This case is about tracking and data collection for advertising, not a breach that exposed Social Security numbers or financial account data, so it does not call for the same identity-theft response as a hacked database. Still, a few basic, free protections are worth knowing about if your child uses apps on Google Play.
A credit freeze blocks anyone from opening new credit in your child's name. Parents and guardians of children under 16 can request one for free at all three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It is one of the few identity-theft protections built specifically for minors, whose Social Security numbers are valuable to fraudsters precisely because nobody checks a child's credit for years.
If you ever suspect actual misuse of your child's information, whether connected to this case or something else entirely, IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government's free recovery site, not a paid monitoring service.
We are tracking this case
If the court denies final approval at the September 24, 2026 hearing, or the payout picture becomes clearer afterward, we will update this page and our data breach settlement tracker. For background on the broader rules governing how companies handle personal data, see our guide to data privacy laws. As of July 2026, the claim deadline is September 14, 2026; do not wait on the hearing date to file.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Google Play Children's Privacy (COPPA) Settlement?
It is an $8.25 million settlement resolving A.B., et al. v. Google LLC, et al., in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging Google and its AdMob subsidiary collected personal information from children under 13 through Google Play apps without verifiable parental consent, violating COPPA. Google and AdMob deny wrongdoing, and the claim deadline is September 14, 2026.
What is COPPA?
COPPA, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, is a federal law enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. It requires operators of child-directed websites and apps, or any operator that knows it is collecting data from a child under 13, to get a parent's verifiable consent before collecting that child's personal information.
Am I or my child eligible to file a claim?
You or your child may be eligible if you were younger than 13 when you downloaded or used any app on the Google Play Store at any point from April 1, 2015 to the present. That is the entire test in the class definition; no specific app needs to be on a list.
Does the parent file, or does the child?
A parent or guardian typically files on behalf of a child who is still a minor. If you were the child during the covered window and are now an adult, you can generally file for yourself; check the official settlement site's FAQ page for the steps that apply to your situation.
How much money will I actually get?
There is no fixed amount. Every valid claimant receives a pro rata share of the $8.25 million fund with no documentation required, so your payment depends on how many other people file a valid claim by the September 14, 2026 deadline.
What proof do I need to file a claim?
The settlement does not require documentation of a specific loss. Confirming eligibility, that you or your child was under 13 and used a Google Play app during the covered window, is the core requirement; check the official FAQ page for current claim form details.
What is the deadline, and should I wait for the September 24 hearing to file?
No. The claim deadline is September 14, 2026, which comes before the September 24, 2026 final approval hearing. File by September 14 regardless of the hearing date, since waiting risks missing the claim window entirely.
Can I still opt out or object to the settlement?
The deadline to exclude yourself from the class or to object to its terms is August 4, 2026. Opting out lets you keep your right to sue Google separately but gives up any payment from this fund; objecting keeps you in the class while telling the court you think its terms are unfair.
What should I do to protect my child's information beyond filing a claim?
This case involves tracking and ad-related data collection, not a breach exposing Social Security or financial account numbers, but a free credit freeze at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion is still available to parents of children under 16 and is one of the strongest protections against a minor's identity being misused later. If you suspect actual misuse, IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government's free recovery resource.
How to tell a settlement notice is real
Check the case name, case number, and court against the official settlement site. Go to that site directly instead of clicking a link in an email or text. Nobody legitimate will call, text, or email out of the blue asking for your Social Security number, bank account, or card details, and nobody will charge you to file. Report anyone who does at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Informational only. Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not affiliated with any settlement.
RecordingLaw.com is an independent legal-information publisher. We are not a law firm, not a settlement administrator, and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any court, government agency, defendant, or claims administrator described on this page. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.
We do not process claims and we never collect your claim information. You cannot file a claim on RecordingLaw.com. To file, opt out, object, or check your status, use only the official settlement administrator identified above. We link to it for your convenience.
Filing a legitimate claim is free. No legitimate settlement or administrator will charge you a fee to file, or ask for your Social Security number, bank, or card details by unsolicited call, text, or email. If someone does, it is likely a scam. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Deadlines, amounts, and approval status change and are set by the court. We verify against the official administrator and court records, but confirm the current details on the official site before acting. Nothing here guarantees eligibility, a payment, or any amount. Settlement payments may be taxable. See IRS Publication 4345. and consult a tax professional. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state. Affiliate disclosure.
Sources and References
- A.B., et al. v. Google LLC, et al., Official Settlement Website(coppaprivacyclassaction.com)
- Frequently Asked Questions, A.B. v. Google LLC Settlement (official)(coppaprivacyclassaction.com)
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (Case No. 5:23-cv-03101)(cand.uscourts.gov).gov
- Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA), Federal Trade Commission(ftc.gov).gov
- Children's Privacy, Federal Trade Commission(ftc.gov).gov
- How To Protect Your Child From Identity Theft, Federal Trade Commission(consumer.ftc.gov).gov
- IdentityTheft.gov, Federal Trade Commission(identitytheft.gov).gov