Google has reached a preliminary agreement to settle a consumer privacy lawsuit, originally filed in 2020, which sought at least $5 billion in damages. The lawsuit accused Google of tracking users’ data while they believed they were browsing privately. The judge confirmed the settlement in a court filing, acknowledging the claims that “millions of individuals” were likely affected.
The class-action lawsuit alleged that Google’s practices intentionally deceived users and violated their privacy. Plaintiffs’ lawyers sought a minimum of $5,000 for each user tracked by Google Analytics or Ad Manager in “private browsing mode” without being logged into their Google account, totaling at least $5 billion. Google and the consumers’ lawyers have not provided immediate comments on the settlement.
The lawsuit, based in California, accused Google of amassing detailed and expansive information about users’ lives, interests, and internet usage. A formal settlement is anticipated for court approval by February 24, 2024, with no disclosed figure for the preliminary agreement.
This isn’t the first time Google has faced legal action regarding privacy concerns. In 2018, European consumer groups criticized Google for violating personal data protection rules related to continuous tracking of smartphone users’ locations. Additionally, in 2017, consumer activists filed a lawsuit accusing Google of unlawfully collecting data on over five million British iPhone users.
In 2022, Google agreed to settle a significant privacy case with 40 US states, addressing accusations that the tech giant misled users into thinking location tracking was disabled on their devices. The settlement, labeled as the largest multi-state privacy settlement by state authorities in US history, included a binding commitment for improved disclosures by Google.
