Google Settles $5B Privacy Lawsuit

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Facts

  • US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has paused a scheduled class action trial against Google alleging breaches of privacy law, following the agreement of a preliminary settlement.1
  • The suit, initially filed on June 2, 2020, accused Google of collecting and selling the private data of users in Chrome's private browsing ('Incognito') mode — allegedly violating the Wiretap Act, the California Invasion of Privacy Act, and the Comprehensive Data Access and Fraud Act.2
  • Google had previously seen two motions to dismiss the case rejected by the Northern California District Court — one concerning the plaintiff's original five counts, and a second in relation to two further charges later brought against the company. These two charges were breach of contract, as well as violation of California's Unfair Competition Law.2
  • The lawsuit had sought at least $US5K in damages per user, totaling over $5B. The case had sought to represent 'millions' of Google users who had been allegedly victims of privacy breaches since June 1, 2016.3
  • The proposed trial for the class action suit, which was set to begin on Feb. 5, 2024, will no longer take place – pending approval by the district court of a formal settlement expected to be received by Feb. 24, 2024.4
  • Google has denied the charges, while neither sets of lawyers have so far publicly commented on the preliminary settlement. The news comes as Google also chose to settle an antitrust lawsuit this December concerning the Android app store for $700M.5

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Documentcloud, 3abc.net.au, 4Lawyard and 5San Francisco Chronicle.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by cybernews.com. The lawsuit has exposed Google's Incognito mode as a massive problem, and while firm in their defense against the lawsuit's allegations it's evident that the company's tool did not protect users as commonly expected. While Big Tech companies often treat such court cases as minor inconveniences, the truth concerning Incognito should be a warning to all about how vulnerable personal data really is online.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Daily Bruin. Although evidence certainly points towards Google's business model often seeking to undermine the privacy of its users, the reality remains that the search engine is by far the most popular of its kind. No matter what information the public absorbs concerning Google's malpractice, the consumers continue to use its product without hesitation. Unless there is an 'e-revolution' capable of destroying the current status quo of the Big Tech monopolies, products like Google Chrome will continue to reign supreme.
  • Narrative C, as provided by Infosecurity Magazine. Intentional privacy violations deserve to be punished. However, while the likes of Google have a responsibility to keep personal information as secure as possible, even the most successful Big Tech companies can't reasonably control and maintain the incomprehensible quantity of data that currently resides online. The safety of online data will only truly be secured through further technological advancements, rather than lawsuits focused upon commercial mistakes.

Predictions