Google reached a record $391.5 million settlement with New York, Oregon, Florida, Illinois and three dozen other states Monday, resolving claims that the tech conglomerate tracks users’ location data after they believe they’ve turned that feature off.
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The deal, which is the largest multistate attorney general consumer privacy settlement in U.S. history, concludes an investigation originally launched following a 2018 Associated Press report that the company records users’ location and movements “even when you explicitly tell it not to.”
To fulfill their end of the deal, Google has agreed to pay the monetary penalty, which will be split amongst the 40 participating states, and be more transparent with users about its location data collection practices, according to the settlement.
“I have been ringing the alarm bell on Big Tech for years, and this is why,” Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, whose state will receive $12.7 million from the settlement, said in a statement Monday. “Citizens must be able to make informed decisions about what information they release to Big Tech. Additionally, Big Tech must recognize the limitations in their collection efforts as it relates to various state laws.”
The attorneys general specifically highlighted how Google presented and responded to the location history and “web & app” activity account settings.
“This $391.5 million settlement is a historic win for consumers in an era of increasing reliance on technology,” said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, whose state will receive $6.5 million from the settlement. “Location data is among the most sensitive and valuable personal information Google collects, and there are so many reasons why a consumer may opt out of tracking.”
“Our investigation found that Google continued to collect this personal information even after consumers told them not to,” Tong added. “That is an unacceptable invasion of consumer privacy, and a violation of state law. People deserve to have greater control over — and understanding of — how their data is being used.”
In addition to the penalty, Google agreed to a list of provisions designed to “give consumers more transparency into their location data collection practices,” according to statements from the attorneys general.
A spokesperson for Google claimed the probe was “based on outdated product policies that we changed years ago” and that the resolution was “consistent with improvements we’ve made in recent years.”
“Today’s settlement is another step along the path of giving more meaningful choices and minimizing data collection while providing more helpful services,” the company said Monday in a blog post outlining how users can manage their location data.
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Source: https://www.law360.com/articles/1549208
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