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Privacy & surveillanceRulingAgainst
Google intercepted, tracked, collected, and sold consumer mobile app browsing history
In the original complaint filed in July 2020, the plaintiffs said that Google "intercepts, tracks, collects and sells consumer mobile app browsing history and activity data regardless of what safeguards or ‘privacy settings’ consumers undertake to protect their privacy.".
Plaintiffs alleged, on behalf of a class of an estimated 247.7 million persons residing in the United States, that Google violated its users’ privacy rights by continuously tracking their location and storing that data even after users had switched off the “Location History” feature on their devices.
The company maintained its stance even though the eight-person jury concluded Google had been spying in violation of California privacy laws.
Even though the jury came up with a far lower calculation for the damages, one of the lawyers who brought the case against Google hailed the outcome as a victory for privacy protection.
In the previous action, which gave rise to the consent order at issue, the FTC alleged Google had misrepresented its privacy policies to Gmail users when it launched its social networking tool, Google Buzz.
federal jury determined on Wednesday that Alphabet's Google must pay $425 million for invading users' privacy by continuing to collect data for millions of users who had switched off a tracking feature in their Google account.
The verdict comes after a trial in the federal court in San Francisco over allegations that Google over an eight-year period accessed users' mobile devices to collect, save, and use their data, violating privacy assurances under its Web & App Activity setting.
Even though the jury came up with a far lower calculation for the damages, one of the lawyers who brought the case against Google hailed the outcome as a victory for privacy protection.
Google has faced other privacy lawsuits, including one earlier this year where it paid nearly $1.4 billion in a settlement with Texas over allegations the company violated the state's privacy laws.
The jury found Google liable on two of the three claims of privacy violations brought by the plaintiffs.
The verdict comes after a trial in the federal court in San Francisco over allegations that Google over an eight-year period accessed users' mobile devices to collect, save, and use their data, violating privacy assurances under its Web & App Activity setting.
In the original complaint filed in July 2020, the plaintiffs said that Google "intercepts, tracks, collects and sells consumer mobile app browsing history and activity data regardless of what safeguards or ‘privacy settings’ consumers undertake to protect their privacy."
In September, a federal jury in California found Google liable on two counts of privacy violations for continuing to collect the data of millions of users who had turned off a data-tracking setting in their Google Accounts.
The jury agreed with the plaintiffs that this constituted an invasion of privacy, though it didn't agree that Google violated users' privacy with malice, oppression or fraud — a distinction that would have, potentially, allowed the court to demand "disgorgement" of the profits Google made by collecting that data.
$425 Million Google Class Action Lawsuit: Do You Qualify for a Payout? | Kiplinger
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) based its complaint on research by the Forbrukerrådet, the Norwegian consumer agency, which claimed Google used “various tricks” to ensure location history and web and app activity were enabled.
Labor & working conditionsAllegationYou decide
Google is accused of terminating employees for union activity
Google is accused of terminating employees for attempting to organize a union.
Google and AI startup to settle lawsuits alleging chatbots led to teen suicide
Privacy & surveillanceAllegationAgainst
Attorney General Karl Racine sued Google over allegations of constant surveillance
Attorney General Karl Racine sued Google on Monday over allegations that the company uses "constant surveillance" and deploys deceptive methods to gain access to users' location data.
Attorney General Karl Racine sued Google on Monday over allegations that the company uses "constant surveillance" and deploys deceptive methods to gain access to users' location data.
The lawsuit states that Google uses "repeated nudging, misleading pressure tactics, and evasive and deceptive descriptions of features and settings," to encourage users to turn on their location services even when it is not necessary to use the app.
Washington D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine sued Google on Monday over allegations that the company uses "constant surveillance" and deploys deceptive methods to gain access to users' location data.
Google Accused Of ‘Constant Surveillance’, Deceptive Methods to Maintain Access to User Data - Newsweek
Political spendingConfirmedYou decide
Google donates $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee
Google gave $1 million to President-elect Trump's inaugural committee.
Google and Boeing have each given $1 million to President-elect Trump’s inaugural committee, joining a growing list of major corporations supporting the Jan.
Tech giant Google donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund – the latest tech company to do so (AP)
Tech giant Google is the latest company to donate $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, following in the footsteps of other major corporations such as Amazon, Meta, Uber and OpenAI.
In January 2025, Google contributed $1 million to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, a substantial increase over the $285,000 the company reported giving for the 2016 and 2020 inaugurations combined.
Google has pledged $1 million to Donald Trump's inaugural fund, joining other tech firms and executives who have made substantial donations ahead of the president-elect's return to the White House. The company confirmed the contribution to Politico on Thursday. The $1 million donation more than triples the $285,000 given to Trump's previous inauguration fund, Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show.
Google has pledged $1 million to Donald Trump's inaugural fund, joining other tech firms and executives who have made substantial donations ahead of the president-elect's return to the White House.
Google donates $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee - The Washington Post
Workplace equityRulingAgainst
Google subjected male employees to a relentless campaign of hostility
EXCLUSIVE: A senior executive at Google subjected male employees to a "relentless campaign" of hostility and discrimination – systematically targeting men to be fired, denying them promotions, refusing to allow them to contribute in meetings and even distributing memberships to professional organizations that only served women as Christmas gifts -- a bombshell lawsuit alleges.
A federal jury in New York found Friday that Google retaliated against a female executive when she made a complaint saying that the company had discriminated against her by hiring her at a lower, lesser-paid position than some of her male peers.
Google Loses Gender-Bias Trial, Owes Ulku Rowe $1.15 Million - Business Insider
EXCLUSIVE: A senior executive at Google subjected male employees to a "relentless campaign" of hostility and discrimination – systematically targeting men to be fired, denying them promotions, refusing to allow them to contribute in meetings and even distributing memberships to professional organizations that only served women as Christmas gifts -- a bombshell lawsuit alleges.
Google exec denied men promotions, favored women: lawsuit | Fox News
Labor & working conditionsAllegationAgainst
Google is accused of terminating employees for union activity
Google is accused of terminating employees who attempted to organize a union.
Google Fired Us for Protesting Its Complicity in the War on Gaza.
Corporate conductSettlementAgainst
Google agreed to destroy billions of data records of users' private browsing activities
Google in April 2024 agreed to destroy billions of data records of users' private browsing activities to settle a lawsuit that alleged it tracked people who thought they were browsing privately, including in "Incognito" mode.
Google in April 2024 agreed to destroy billions of data records of users' private browsing activities to settle a lawsuit that alleged it tracked people who thought they were browsing privately, including in "Incognito" mode.
Google in April 2024 agreed to destroy billions of data records of users' private browsing activities to settle a lawsuit that alleged it tracked people who thought they were browsing privately, including in "Incognito" mode.
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Google conceals internal conversations
Google concealed internal conversations for 15 years.
A Google shareholder has filed a lawsuit against the company’s executive officers and board of directors, alleging the company concealed sexual misconduct allegations against former executives.
Google sued by shareholder alleging sexual misconduct cover-up - CNET
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Google gives $150k in free ads to anti-abortion group
Google provided $150,000 in free advertising to an anti-abortion group that misleads women into believing it offers abortion services.
Google has given $150,000 of free advertising to an anti-abortion group that tricks women into thinking it offers abortion services but actually seeks to stop “abortion-minded women” from having their pregnancies terminated.
Privacy & surveillanceRulingAgainst
Google was fined $462 million by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission for violating EU privacy rules related to the collection
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission announced on Monday that it has fined Google 403 million euros, or about $462 million, over the tech giant’s processing of location data.
Google hit with $463 million fine for EU location data rule breach - ABC News
Google has been fined 403 million euros ($463 million) for breaching the European Union's strict privacy rules because it mishandled users' location data, the bloc's data privacy watchdog said Monday.
Google has been fined 403 million euros ($463 million) for breaching the European Union’s strict privacy rules because it mishandled users’ location data, the bloc’s data privacy watchdog said Monday.
Google fined €403 million by EU over location data privacy violations
Google fined €403 million by EU over location data privacy violations | Fortune
Google fined $462 million after regulators uncover problems with a familiar feature - Fast Company
The commission also ordered that Google bring its processing of location data into compliance within six months.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission announced on Monday that it has fined Google 403 million euros, or about $462 million, over the tech giant’s processing of location data.
The fine, imposed by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), comes after complaints from multiple European consumer organisations that Google was following every step users took.
Google fined more than €400m by Irish regulator over its use of location data | Google | The Guardian
Imposing a fine of €403m, the DPC ordered Google to bring its processing into compliance with the EU’s general data protection regulation (GDPR) within six months. It is the fourth-largest fine imposed by the Irish regulator, which has EU-wide responsibility for all the US tech giants with EU headquarters in Ireland.
Imposing a fine of €403m, the DPC ordered Google to bring its processing into compliance with the EU’s general data protection regulation (GDPR) within six months.
Workplace equitySettlementAgainst
Google settles workplace discrimination claims with $118 million
Google pays $118 million to settle claims it underpaid women and agreed to open hiring policies to expert review.
Google is paying $118 million to settle a lawsuit that claims it underpays women, agreeing to open its hiring policies to expert review
The lawsuit was launched in 2017 by three female Google employees, who accused Google of breaking Californian law on gender discrimination, such as the state's Equal Pay Act.
Google to donate $8 million to Israel, Gaza relief efforts
EducationConfirmedYou decide
Google supports colleges with up to $1 million for cybersecurity
Google, in collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, supports selected colleges and universities with up to $1 million each to expand cybersecurity workforce pathways.
Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund: Google, in collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, supports selected colleges, universities and community colleges with up to $1 million each to expand cybersecurity workforce pathways.
Labor & working conditionsConfirmedAgainst
Google fires four activist employees
The NLRB opened an investigation into Google after the company fired four longtime employees involved in worker activism.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has opened an investigation into Google’s labor practices in the wake of the tech giant’s decision to fire four longtime employees involved in worker activism last month, an agency official confirmed to The Hill on Monday.
Privacy & surveillanceConfirmedAgainst
Google's Salesforce breach exposes customer data
Hackers accessed Google's Salesforce database, exposing customer and company names.
Hackers have reportedly accessed Google's Salesforce database systems, exposing customer and company names.
Corporate conductRulingAgainst
The European Commission fined Google €890 million for breaches of the Digital Markets Act
Commission fines Google €890 million for breaches of the Digital Markets Act Today, the European Commission took two decisions finding non-compliance by Google with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for self-preferencing its own services on Google Search, and for putting in place restrictions on businesses to direct consumers to alternative, often cheaper, purchase channels on Google Play (steering).
Commission fines Google €890 million for breaches of the Digital Markets Act Today, the European Commission took two decisions finding non-compliance by Google with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for self-preferencing its own services on Google Search, and for putting in place restrictions on businesses to direct consumers to alternative, often cheaper, purchase channels on Google Play (steering).
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Google internal reviews block data harvesting
Google's internal reviews, driven by consent decrees, have sometimes prevented unnecessary harvesting of users' data.
WIRED interviews with 20 current and former employees of Meta and Google who worked on privacy initiatives show that internal reviews forced by consent decrees have sometimes blocked unnecessary harvesting and access of users’ data.