Protecting privacy: Google settles for $39.9 million with Washington
Google has settled to pay a $39.9 million fee due to misleading its customers about location tracking practices. The lawsuit alleged that it violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act.
Google is once again paying a fee to a U.S. state because of its location tracking practices. Despite denying all the allegations, the company agreed to pay a $39.9 million fee to Washington state to avoid any trials. The fee will be used to fund consumer privacy education and enforcement programs, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said.
"Today's resolution holds one of the most powerful corporations accountable for its unethical and unlawful tactics," Ferguson said in a statement.
In accordance with the settlement, Google will no longer be accused of misleading users into thinking they had a choice over how the search and advertising company collected and used their personal data. Washington state officials said that even if the users disabled location tracking, Google still collected their data and made a profit from it.
Google must be more open about its monitoring procedures and give a comprehensive "Location Technologies" webpage explaining them, according to a consent order submitted on Wednesday in King County Superior Court.
The technology giant responded to the Washington settlement by citing its earlier statement on the multistate agreement, in which it claimed to have addressed a number of authorities' concerns, including "outdated product policies that we changed years ago."
Google continues settlements
Google has faced a similar case back in November. This time, it was against 40 U.S. states, and the technology giant had to pay $391.5 million to resolve the issue. Some of these states sued Google due to allegations, including Washington. Arizona state and the technology company agreed on a $85 million settlement last October.
The company is accused of collecting sensitive health data related to abortion searches on third-party websites using Google's technology. According to the lawsuit, Google improperly used monitoring technology built into the website of the healthcare provider to gather people's medical information without their permission or payment.
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“Today’s resolution holds one of the most powerful corporations accountable for its unethical and unlawful tactics,”
Holding Google accountable with only a 40 million dollars fine ? They will hardly notice it. It’s interesting to know that under already existing laws, for instance in the EU, Google could and should be fined for billions for its crimes against the human right of privacy, if there wasn’t systemic bribery.
“In accordance with the settlement, Google will no longer be accused of misleading users into thinking they had a choice over how the search and advertising company collected and used their personal data. Washington state officials said that even if the users disabled location tracking, Google still collected their data and made a profit from it.”
Wait wait wait, what ? They paid to avoid having to stop doing illegal stuff ? And a tiny sum in addition to that ? And those who got the money won’t even be allowed any longer to tell that Google is doing illegal spying after that ? How is that holding Google accountable, or even something positive ? It’s more like a bribery scandal, but openly, and being even proud of it !
“Google must be more open about its monitoring procedures and give a comprehensive “Location Technologies” webpage explaining them, according to a consent order submitted on Wednesday in King County Superior Court.”
Being more open about the spying may or not be enough to make it legal but it won’t solve the main problem, only be an excuse for that 40 millions grab to be silenced.
“Google has faced a similar case back in November. This time, it was against 40 U.S. states, and the technology giant had to pay $391.5 million to resolve the issue. Some of these states sued Google due to allegations, including Washington. Arizona state and the technology company agreed on a $85 million settlement last October.”
It’s easier to negotiate (including bribes) state by state than against everyone at once. Divide and conquer.
“The company is accused of collecting sensitive health data related to abortion searches on third-party websites using Google’s technology. According to the lawsuit, Google improperly used monitoring technology built into the website of the healthcare provider to gather people’s medical information without their permission or payment.”
Abortion is a hot topic in backwards US politics so it’s something that people will be more receptive about, but it’s only one tiny example among the infinity of sensitive data Google spies on and misuses worlwide, and most probably far from the worst possible example.
39 Mil? Barely a drop for Google….just to continue to do what they do in terms of tracking.
Similar to big Pharma, they will gladly pay a drop in the bucket of two billion in class actions settlements, just to continue to do that they do.