The multi-billion-dollar tech company, Google, will pay users about $12 each after agreeing to a lawsuit settlement of $7.5 million after being sued for a bug that might compromise user data.
A class-action lawsuit that began in 2018 finally made it to its conclusion with Google LLC agreeing to settle $7.5 million worth of damages to users who have registered into the app living in the United States.
Metro U.K. stated that even though $7.5 million is a lot, users would only receive a fraction of around $12 each, upon making a claim. Once receiving Google's payout settlement, said users would forfeit their rights to sue the company for damages in the following years.
Users who received an e-mail from January 2015 - April 2019 regarding the lawsuit are eligible to make a claim and redeem the settlement from Google. You can make a claim through this link here. Users are only given until October 8, 2020, to make a claim on said website.
The website also contains a summary of litigation that transpired in the lawsuit filed against the internet company's failed social media network.
ALSO READ : Intel Hacked: 20GB of Data Including Secret Files Accessble Using Password 'Intel123' Leak Online
Google Plus' Trial and Lawsuit
Google announced in 2018 that its social media platform "Google Plus" (also known as Google+) experienced software bugs throughout 2015 until 2018. The internet company admitted that these software bugs gave the app developers certain access to Google+ "profile field information."
To which Google said that it was unintended and assured users that no data was taken whatsoever. Three former app users, Matthew Matic, Zak Harris, Charles Olson, and Eileen M. Pinkowski, filed a lawsuit against Google claiming that these bugs allegedly harmed a certain number of people who used it.
Google denied these allegations and was tried in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Last June 10, 2020, Hon. Edward J. Davila granted the trial's preliminary approval of the class action settlement that, in turn, asked Google to provide notice of the said settlement.
Several users who received an e-mail from google-noreply@google.com found the message sketchy and questioned its legitimacy. Twitter user @normamacedos questioned the e-mail and feared that she was being sued.
so I just got the google settlement email thing and I read "you are not being sued" and my first thought was holy shit I'm being sued pic.twitter.com/TCZKsyDKJI — norma ¹ᴰ (@normamacedos) August 5, 2020
Google confirms its legitimacy through its interview with Fast Company.
What is Google Plus exactly?
Google+ is a tech company, Google's attempt in the social media networking platform way back in its launch in 2011. The app was supposed to rival Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook.
The app confused new users as to whether or not they have an account. Google+ automatically makes an account for existing Google users. This confusion led to the application's low usage. The application was shut down by Google, explaining that its decision was brought by 'low usage and challenges involved in maintaining a successful product that meets consumers' expectations' as stated by Metro U.K.
Google ended the application's stint in August 2019 following the lawsuit. Its software bugs affected a number of 500,000 users of the app. Google said that each user's settlement would vary to the total number of people who signed up and filed for a claim.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isaiah Alonzo
