Google Ordered to Pay for Privacy Violations
A federal jury found on Wednesday that Google, part of Alphabet Inc., must pay $425 million for breaching users’ privacy. This ruling came after the company was accused of continuing to collect data from millions of users who had disabled a tracking feature in their Google accounts.
The case, which unfolded in a federal court in San Francisco, revolved around claims that Google accessed users’ mobile devices over an eight-year span, collecting, saving, and using data in violation of its privacy promises under the Web & App Activity setting.
The plaintiffs were initially seeking over $31 billion in damages. Ultimately, the jury concluded that Google was liable on two out of three claims concerning privacy violations but did not find evidence of malice, which means no punitive damages were imposed.
Google intends to appeal this decision, with spokesperson Jose Castaneda asserting that the ruling reflects a misunderstanding of how its products function. “Our privacy tools give people control over their data,” Castaneda stated, emphasizing that the choice to disable personalization is respected.
On the other hand, David Boies, representing the users, expressed satisfaction with the jury’s decision.
The class action lawsuit, initiated in July 2020, claimed that Google continued its data collection efforts despite users turning off the tracking setting, partly through partnerships with apps like Uber, Venmo, and Instagram that utilize specific Google analytics services.
During the trial, Google defended itself by noting that the data collected was nonpersonal, pseudonymous, and stored securely. They claimed it was not linked to any individual user’s identity or Google accounts.
U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg certified the case as a class action involving around 98 million Google users and 174 million devices.
This isn’t the first time Google has faced scrutiny over privacy issues. Earlier this year, it settled a suit with Texas, paying nearly $1.4 billion related to alleged breaches of the state’s privacy laws. In April 2024, Google also agreed to eliminate billions of records concerning users’ private browsing activities, resolving accusations that it tracked users in “Incognito” mode.
