Google settles with 40 states over location monitoring practices

Google CEO Sundar Pichai testifies throughout a distant video listening to held by subcommittees of the US Home of Representatives Vitality and Commerce Committee on “Social Media’s Function in Selling Extremism and Misinformation” in Washington, March 25, 2021.

US Home of Representatives Vitality and Commerce Committee | handouts | through Reuters

Google agreed to a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states over its use of location monitoring, Oregon Legal professional Normal Ellen Rosenblum introduced Monday.

Even when customers thought they’d turned off location monitoring of their account settings, Google continued to gather data relating to their whereabouts, Oregon’s AG workplace mentioned. The settlement requires Google to be extra clear with customers and supply clearer location monitoring disclosures starting in 2023.

Rosenblum led the settlement together with Nebraska Legal professional Normal Doug Peterson. It is the biggest client privateness settlement ever led by a bunch of attorneys normal, in accordance with the discharge.

“In line with enhancements we have made in recent times, we have now settled this investigation which was primarily based on outdated product insurance policies that we modified years in the past,” mentioned Google spokesperson José Castañeda in a press release.

A 2018 report from the Related Press revealed the idea of the investigation.

“For years Google has prioritized revenue over their customers’ privateness,” Rosenblum mentioned within the launch. “They’ve been artful and misleading. Shoppers thought that they had turned off their location monitoring options on Google, however the firm continued to secretly document their actions and use that data for advertisers.”

Google settled an identical lawsuit with Arizona for $85 million final month, and the corporate faces further location monitoring lawsuits in Washington, DC, Indiana, Texas and Washington state. The 4 AGs allege Google was utilizing the situation information for its advert enterprise. The lawsuits ask the court docket to require Google to dump any algorithms created with the allegedly ill-gotten positive aspects, alongside financial earnings.

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