Google Ordered to Pay $425 Million Over Unauthorized Data Collection
A federal jury has ruled that Google must pay $425 million in a class action lawsuit for allegedly collecting data from users who had disabled tracking on their accounts. Despite the Web & App Activity setting being turned off, data was reportedly collected over an eight-year period.
In a landmark decision, a federal jury has ordered Alphabet's Google to pay $425 million in damages for allegedly infringing on user privacy. The class action lawsuit, originating in July 2020, accused Google of accessing and collecting data despite users disabling a tracking feature in their accounts.
During the trial in San Francisco's federal court, it emerged that Google allegedly continued data collection practices through partnerships with apps such as Uber, Venmo, and Instagram, over a span of eight years. This action reportedly violated privacy assurances under the company's Web & App Activity setting.
A spokesperson for the company's legal team confirmed the court's decision. Users had sought over $31 billion in damages, claiming deceptive practices and misleading privacy representations by the tech giant.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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