Google Agrees to Pay $39.9 Million to Washington State for Alleged Location Tracking Deception

In a recent development, Google has agreed to pay a hefty $39.9 million to the state of Washington to resolve a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of engaging in deceptive location tracking practices, Reuters reports.

The settlement, announced by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, puts an end to claims that Google misled users into believing they had control over the collection and usage of their personal data.

Google Allegedly Took Data from Disabled Tracking Technology

According to the state's complaint, Google collected and profited from user data even when individuals disabled tracking technology on their smartphones and computers.

This breach of consumer privacy rights prompted the lawsuit and subsequent settlement.

The consent decree, filed in King County Superior Court, imposes certain obligations on Google to enhance transparency regarding its tracking practices.

The company will create a more detailed "Location Technologies" webpage as part of the agreement, offering users a comprehensive understanding of how their location data is collected and utilized.

Holding Big Tech Accountable

Reuters tells us that Attorney General Bob Ferguson expressed his satisfaction with the resolution, stating, "Today's resolution holds one of the most powerful corporations accountable for its unethical and unlawful tactics."

The settlement underscores the significance of protecting consumer privacy and sends a clear message to other tech companies regarding their data collection practices.

Although Google, headquartered in Mountain View, California, maintains its innocence, the company decided to settle the case.

Reuters also notes that this settlement follows a previous agreement in November, in which Google agreed to pay $391.5 million to 40 U.S. states to resolve similar allegations. However, some states, including Washington, pursued independent lawsuits focusing on Google's tracking practices.

For instance, Arizona reached an $85 million settlement with Google in October last year as part of its separate case.

In June 2021, Ferguson also announced Google had paid $423,659.76 to Washington's Public Disclosure Transparency Account for violating the state's 1972-enacted campaign finance disclosure law.

This was the second comparable lawsuit filed against Google. In 2018, Google paid the state of Washington $217,000 to settle Ferguson's lawsuit accusing the company of violating Washington's campaign finance disclosure laws.

Google Responds to Complaints

In response to the Washington settlement, Google referred to its earlier statement regarding the multistate accord. The company emphasized that it had already addressed concerns raised by regulators, including updating outdated product policies.

By doing so, Google aims to demonstrate its commitment to addressing privacy concerns and improving transparency in user data collection.

Consumers are becoming more aware of how their personal data is used and are demanding greater control and transparency from companies like Google.

The settlement in Washington serves as a reminder that even the most powerful corporations must be held accountable for their data practices, reaffirming the necessity of responsible data handling and protection.

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