Security News > 2023 > January > Google to Pay $29.5 Million to Settle Lawsuits Over User Location Tracking

Google has agreed to pay a total of $29.5 million to settle two different lawsuits brought by Indiana and Washington, D.C., over its "Deceptive" location tracking practices.

The search and advertising giant is required to pay $9.5 million to D.C. and $20 million to Indiana after the states sued the company for charges that the company tracked users' locations without their express consent.

The settlement adds to the $391.5 million Google agreed to pay to 40 states over similar allegations last month.

"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," the state said in a press release last week.

Pursuant to the settlement, the company has been ordered to notify users with Location History and Web & App Activity enabled about whether location data is being collected, alongside steps users can take to disable the settings and delete the data.

Google is also expected to maintain a web page that discloses all the types and sources of location data it gathers as well as refrain from sharing users' precise location information with third-party advertisers without explicit consent.

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2023/01/google-to-pay-295-million-to-settle.html