Who Owns Android?

Google publishes an annual Environmental Report. The company has matched 100% of its global electricity consumption with renewable energy purchases since 2017 and has stated a goal of operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy across all data centers by 2030. Android services and infrastructure run on Google data centers covered by these commitments.

Android 12 (2021) introduced a Privacy Dashboard showing users which apps accessed their camera, microphone, and location data, and when. Android 12 also introduced approximate location sharing, allowing users to share a less precise location with apps that do not require exact location data. Android 13 (2022) introduced per-app notification permissions and photo/video access controls. These features were introduced in part in response to European regulatory pressure and the EU's Digital Markets Act.

Google is not B Corp certified. The Android Open Source Project is maintained under the Apache License 2.0, which is a permissive open-source license.

Android does not receive traditional product awards in the way consumer goods brands do. Notable formal recognitions include:

IEEE Milestone Designation: The Open Handset Alliance's Android announcement in 2007 is documented as a milestone in mobile computing history by technology historians and the IEEE.

Google Play Awards: Google runs an annual Google Play Best of awards program recognizing top apps and games developed on Android, which recognizes the developer ecosystem rather than Android itself.

Accessibility Recognitions: Android's TalkBack screen reader and Live Caption feature have been recognized by the American Foundation for the Blind and similar organizations as meaningful contributions to accessibility in consumer technology.

European Commission Antitrust Fine (2018): The European Commission fined Google 4.34 billion euros in July 2018 for illegal practices related to Android, specifically for requiring device manufacturers who wanted to license Google's proprietary Android apps (including Google Play) to also pre-install Google Search and the Chrome browser, and for paying manufacturers and carriers to exclusively pre-install Google Search. Google appealed. The EU General Court reduced the fine to approximately 4.125 billion euros in 2022. Google appealed further to the European Court of Justice, and the case was ongoing as of 2026.

Epic Games v. Google (2023): Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, filed suit against Google in 2020 alleging that Google's restrictions on alternative app stores and its requirement that app developers use Google Play's billing system for in-app purchases violated antitrust law. A jury found in Epic's favor in December 2023. Google filed appeals. The case raised broader questions about mandatory commission structures in app stores and manufacturer pre-installation requirements.

EU Digital Markets Act (2024-Present): Under the EU Digital Markets Act, which designated Google as a "gatekeeper," Google was required to allow Android users in the EU to more easily select alternative browsers and search engines and to allow third-party app stores on Android devices. Implementation has been contested, with the European Commission monitoring compliance as of 2026.

Location Data Collection (Ongoing): Multiple investigations and lawsuits in the United States, Europe, and Australia have examined Google's collection of location data from Android devices, alleging that Google continued to collect location data even when users disabled the location history setting. In November 2022, Google agreed to pay $391.5 million to settle a multistate investigation by 40 US attorneys general. In 2023, Google agreed to pay $93 million to settle a similar action by the California Attorney General.

Andy Rubin Misconduct Allegations (2018): In October 2018, The New York Times reported that Google had paid Android founder Andy Rubin a $90 million exit package in 2014 despite an internal investigation concluding that a sexual misconduct allegation against Rubin was credible. The report triggered a global walkout by approximately 20,000 Google employees on November 1, 2018, in protest of the company's handling of sexual harassment cases. Google subsequently announced changes to its handling of such cases and eliminated mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment claims.

Security Vulnerabilities and Malware (Ongoing): Android's open ecosystem has historically made it more susceptible to malware distributed outside the Google Play Store than iOS. Google's Project Zero, an internal security research team, has identified zero-day vulnerabilities in Android on multiple occasions. Google issues monthly Android Security Bulletins. Third-party security researchers and organizations such as Check Point Research and Lookout have documented instances of malware distributed via both third-party sources and, on occasion, through the Google Play Store itself.