The lawsuit, which encompassed ‘millions’ of Google users, aimed for damages amounting to $5,000 per user or three times the actual damages, whichever was higher.
Google has reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging that the tech giant covertly tracked the internet activity of millions of users, even when they believed they were browsing in incognito mode. The lawsuit, filed in 2020 in the U.S. District Court Northern District of California, sought $5 billion in damages and covered a substantial number of Google users. The damages were proposed at $5,000 per user or three times the actual damages, whichever was greater.
Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, stands accused of unlawfully gathering information on users’ online activities and browsing locations through various applications and website plug-ins, including Google Analytics and Google Ad Manager. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers suspended the trial, originally scheduled for February 5, 2024, after lawyers for both Google and consumers indicated a preliminary settlement had been reached.
While the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, lawyers confirmed that an agreement was reached through mediation. They are expected to present a formal settlement agreement to the court for approval by February 24, 2024. Google has not provided immediate responses to inquiries from Fox News Digital regarding the settlement terms.
Consumer attorneys contend that Google’s analytics, cookies, and apps enabled the company to monitor users’ browsing activity even when Chrome was configured for “Incognito” mode. According to the attorneys, this allowed Google to amass an “unaccountable trove of information,” revealing details about consumers’ peers, preferred foods, shopping habits, hobbies, and potentially embarrassing online searches.
Although Google sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, Judge Rogers rejected this request in August. In her decision, the judge highlighted the unresolved question of whether Google had made a legally binding commitment not to collect user data during private browsing. Rogers referenced the company’s privacy policy and statements by Google that implied restrictions on the information collected.
Ultimately, the lawsuit accused Google of violating federal wiretapping and California privacy laws.
\