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Google has recently agreed to pay $29.5 million to settle lawsuits brought against them by Indiana and Washington, D.C.
The suits alleged that Google was unlawfully tracking users’ online activities and collecting their location data without their consent, ordering the search and advertising giant to pay $9.5 million to the District of Columbia and $20 million to Indiana.
“My office reached a settlement with Google requiring the company to pay $9.5 million for deceiving and manipulating consumers—including by using “dark patterns” to trick users and gain access to their location data,” D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine said in a tweet on December 30.
The complaints were brought following the revelations that surfaced in 2018 claiming that despite users’ attempts to disable Location History choices on Android and iOS, the internet service provider could still follow their travels using a Web & App Activity setting.
“Given the vast level of tracking and surveillance that technology companies can embed into their widely used products, it is only fair that consumers be informed of how important user data, including information about their every move, is gathered, tracked, and utilised by these companies,” Mr Racine explained.
A news release from the state last week states that “Google uses location data collected from Indiana consumers to build detailed user profiles and target ads, but Google has deceived and misled users about its practices since at least 2014.”
As per the settlement terms, Google must inform users who have enabled Location History and Web & App Activity whether location data is being collected and provide instructions on turning off the settings and erasing the data.
While this settlement may be seen as a victory for users, it is essential to remember that Google still needs to fully address the issue of user privacy and how their data is used.
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