Security News > 2023 > January > Google gets off easy in location tracking lawsuits

Google has settled two more of the many location tracking lawsuits it had been facing over the past year, and this time the search giant is getting an even better deal: just $29.5 million to resolve complaints filed in Indiana and Washington DC with no admission of wrongdoing.

The cases filed in the Midwestern state and the capital are similar to those settled elsewhere in the US in the last 12 months and center on allegations that Google deceived users into handing over location data, which it then turned into billions in advertising dollars.

Karl Racine, attorney general of Washington DC until his term ended yesterday, called the settlement [PDF] a win because "Google must also make clear to consumers how their location data is collected, stored, and used."

Indiana and DC's settlement agreements are similar, particularly in their accusations and the terms agreed to regarding Google's future behavior surrounding location tracking.

The suits both allege that Google used dark patterns to mislead consumers "Because location data is immensely valuable" to the company.

Indiana and DC weren't included in the 40-state collective settlement, nor was Texas or Washington state, both of which have filed similar ongoing suits against Google.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/01/03/google_tracking_settlements/