Google will be paying a record $392 million in a lawsuit filed by 40 state attorneys general accusing the mega internet search company of tracking users’ searches and web pages, even when users had location tracking shut off from 2014 to 2020.
Part of the suit alleged that Google also purposely misled users into believing the company was not collecting or using geolocation on them. Instead, The New York Times said, “Through Google’s broad array of other services like search, maps and apps that connect to Wi-Fi and cellular phone towers, the company continued amassing and storing an intricate history of users’ movements.”
Not only that, for a while Google continued to track users who were no longer logged into Google apps. While the award money goes to the straight to the states, Google has agreed to change the way it collects location data and how it informs and notifies users of what it’s doing and how to disable location tracking.
SOURCE:
The New York Times November 14, 2022