Google agrees to the payment $391.5 million in settlement With 40 states over a lawsuit related to the search engine company’s tracking of users’ locations. The result of work by a coalition of state attorneys general, this is the largest attorney general-led consumer privacy settlement ever.
a 2018 Associated Press story The lawsuit started. It alleged that Google continued to collect and sell personal and behavioral location data to advertisers, even after users opted out of location history in their settings.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenbloom says in a press release:
“For years, Google has prioritized profit over the privacy of its users. They have been cunning and misleading. Consumers thought they had turned off their location tracking features on Google, but the company continued to secretly record their movements and use that information for advertisers.”
Under the terms of the present Settlement, Google will provide a detailed summary of the data it routinely collects and present this information on a publicly accessible web page.
Google is committed to changing its website data policies
in blog postThe Mountain View, California-based technology company outlines several changes it will implement in response to the settlement.
Changes include:
- Consolidate user information hubs into one comprehensive repository
- Additional disclosures
- Simplify the deletion of location data
- Provide new accounts with a more detailed explanation of your web and app activity, including what information it includes and how Google uses it
The Google blog post states:
“Today’s settlement is another step on the road to offering more meaningful choices and reducing data collection while providing more useful services.”
The blog post also highlights the benefits that location information provides to users, including factoring in traffic conditions in driving directions for Google Maps, the restaurant business, and the connected experience across Google properties.
With these updates, Google reinforces its commitment to creating more transparency around its data collection and user privacy policies. This includes Auto delete controlsAnd hidden mode for Google Maps and Increased transparency About how the search engine uses location data.
Location data is an important part of Google’s advertising activity
Google Digital Advertising relies heavily on location data to collect personal and behavioral data that marketers use to build detailed consumer profiles. In contrast, advertisers use the data to create targeted campaigns that speak to a specific demographic.
More personalized ads are generated $209 billion in advertising revenue In 2021 Aphabet, Inc. , the parent company of Google.
Featured image: Burdun Iliya/Shutterstock
