More of Google's money is heading your way after $5 billion lawsuit is settled

Google parent Alphabet recently settled a suit with all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories over anti-competitive actions Google took in the Google Play Store. To settle the suit, Apple paid $700 million. After $70 million is paid to the states to cover penalties, restitution, disgorgement, and fees, the remaining $630 will be disbursed to those who made purchases on the Play Store between Aug. 16, 2016, and Sept. 30, 2023. 

Those who qualify to receive part of the settlement will be sent a check in the amount of at least $2 and possibly more depending on how much money they spent in the Play Store during the aforementioned seven-year time period. The lawyers will eventually post the web address of the site that users will visit to file their claim online and we will pass that information along to you once it is disclosed..

More cash from the company might be heading to both Android and iOS users with the word today of a settlement made by Google of a huge $5 billion lawsuit. According to The New York Post, the suit accused Google of tracking the personal data of millions of people even though they were using the incognito mode on the Chrome Browser. Lawyers from both sides signed the settlement which now awaits the signature of a federal judge. This will take place no later than February 24th of next year. 

Chrome users sued Google for tracking them online even with incognito mode enabled

With incognito mode enabled, users can browse the web and have their online activity remain private. In other words, if there is a reason why you don't want anyone else to learn which websites you've been visiting, incognito mode is supposed to make this happen.  But the plaintiffs allege that even with incognito mode enabled, Google used analytics, cookies, and other tools to track their browsing histories along with device data, and the content of webpages visited.

Tracking these Chrome users on iOS and Android allowed Google to create an "unaccountable trove of information" that ranges from the boring (shopping habits, hobbies, etc.) to  "potentially embarrassing things." The plaintiffs' attorneys were attempting to recover $5,000 in damages for each user alleging violations of federal wiretapping and California privacy laws dating back to June 1, 2016.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers put on hold a scheduled Feb. 5, 2024 trial date for the proposed class action suit after the preliminary settlement was reached. The judge, in rejecting Google's request for summary judgement back in August, wrote, "Google’s motion hinges on the idea that plaintiffs consented to Google collecting their data while they were browsing in private mode. Because Google never explicitly told users that it does so, the Court cannot find as a matter of law that users explicitly consented to the at-issue data collection."

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