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Google to pay $392 million in record-breaking privacy settlement
- Google has agreed to pay $392 million for misleading users who thought they turned off location tracking.
- The settlement sets a new record for internet privacy settlements in the US.
- Google will have to provide clearer disclosures about its tracking in 2023.
Google has found itself in legal hot water a number of times in 2022. But, it looks like the company is, at least, closing the door on one of its lawsuits from earlier in the year. Unfortunately for Google, the conclusion to this lawsuit will cost the tech giant $392 million.
Back in January, attorneys general from Washington, DC, Texas, Washington state, and Indiana launched a case against Google. The lawsuit alleged that Google deceived users by collecting their location data even when those users thought they had turned tracking off.
According to TechCrunch, DC Attorney General Karl Racine had this to say:
Google falsely led consumers to believe that changing their account and device settings would allow customers to protect their privacy and control what personal data the company could access. The truth is that contrary to Google’s representations it continues to systematically surveil customers and profit from customer data.
Fast forward to November, and it looks like Google is going to have to pay a hefty sum for its transgressions. According to The New York Times, Google has agreed to a settlement of $391.5 million. In response to the settlement, the attorneys general reportedly said that the agreement is “the biggest internet privacy settlement in the United States.”
Although the outcome of this lawsuit has been decided, Google still has plenty on its plate. Just last month, the attorney general for Texas filed a lawsuit against Google claiming the company collected biometric data without user consent.