A federal jury has ordered Google to pay $425.7 million for improperly snooping on people's smartphones during a nearly decade-long period of intrusions.
Corporate conductSettlement
Google settled a federal class action lawsuit alleging it used Android users' paid cellular data without adequate disclosure or consent
Plaintiffs argued that those background transfers consumed cellular data that users paid for through their mobile carriers and primarily benefited Google, raising privacy and consumer protection concerns.
Plaintiffs argued that those background transfers consumed cellular data that users paid for through their mobile carriers and primarily benefited Google, raising privacy and consumer protection concerns.
Google Class Action Lawsuit: How to Claim Payout for $135 Million Data Settlement - Newsweek
Corporate conductConfirmed
Google makes $10.2 million from fake clinic ads
Google made $10.2 million from deceptive advertisements for fake clinics.
A new report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate reveals that Google made $10.2 million over the last two years running deceptive advertisements for these fake clinics.
Corporate conductConfirmed
Jurors find Instagram and YouTube responsible for suffering
After seven weeks of trial, jurors found Instagram and YouTube responsible for the suffering of a Chico woman who charged the platforms were built to addict young users.
After a grueling seven weeks of court proceedings and more than 40 hours of tense deliberations across nine days in one of the country’s most closely watched civil trials, jurors handed down a landmark decision in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, finding Instagram and YouTube responsible for the suffering of a Chico, Calif., woman who charged the platforms were built to addict young users.
Media & the pressConfirmed
Google accused of designing addictive children's products
Google is accused of designing products that addict and harm children.
“Today, a jury saw the truth and held Meta and Google accountable for designing products that addict and harm children,” said Lexi Hazam, court-appointed co-lead plaintiffs’ counsel in the related federal action.
Privacy & surveillanceSettlement
YouTube settles $30 million children's privacy claim
A federal judge granted final approval for a $30 million class action settlement against YouTube after parents claimed the company violated children's privacy by collecting data while they watched videos.
(CN) — A federal judge granted final approval for a $30 million class action settlement against Google on Tuesday, after six years of litigation with parents claiming the tech giant violated children’s privacy by collecting data while they watched YouTube videos.
Corporate conductConfirmed
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 & surveillanceRuling
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 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
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Privacy & surveillanceSettlement
Google paid nearly $1.4 billion in a settlement with Texas over allegations the company violated the state's privacy laws
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.
Google’s agreement to settle comes nearly a year after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $1.4 billion settlement from Meta over the unauthorized use of biometric data from Facebook and Instagram users.
As reported by Cryptopolitan earlier, Google agreed to a $1.375 billion settlement with Texas over allegations it unlawfully tracked users’ facial recognition data, location history, and Chrome Incognito activity.
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.
That case is ongoing, but a similar lawsuit filed against Google resulted in a $1.375 billion settlement in May 2025.
Workplace equityAllegation
YouTube is accused of racial profiling in content algorithms
Content producers filed a federal class action in June 2020 accusing YouTube and its parent Google of using racial profiling in algorithms to censor their video content and limit viewership.
The content producers filed a federal class action in June 2020 accusing YouTube and its parent Google of using racial profiling in algorithms and artificial intelligence to filter and censor their video content so it reaches fewer viewers, similar to improper censorship of LGBTQ+ content creators the tech giants said was fixed years ago following a 2019 federal lawsuit.
A group of black YouTube creators filed suit against the company this week, alleging that the platform has been systematically removing their content without explanation.