Google To Pay $29.5 Million To Settle Lawsuits Over User Location Tracking

Google was also accused of employing dark patterns, which refer to design choices intended to deceive users into carrying out actions that violate their privacy and overshare information without their knowledge or affirmation. The state said in a statement last week:

“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,”

Regarding this matter, the company has been ordered to notify its users with Location History and Web & App Activity. Furthermore, the company needs to tell its users whether location data is being collected, together with the steps users can take to disable the settings and delete the data. The search giant is also expected to maintain a web page in order to disclose all the types and sources of location data it gathers. Moreover, the company needs to refrain from sharing users’ precise location information with third-party advertisers without explicit consent. The point worth mentioning here is that it will need to automatically delete location data derived from a “device or from IP addresses in Web & App Activity within 30 days” after getting information. D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine said:

“Given the vast level of tracking and surveillance that technology companies can embed into their widely used products, it is only fair that consumers be informed of how important user data, including information about their every move, is gathered, tracked, and utilized by these companies,”

Back in November 2022, Google elaborated that these lawsuits are based on “outdated product policies” and it has now rolled out a number of privacy and transparency enhancements in order to allow users to auto-delete location data associated with their accounts.

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