Anyone who clicked on a link in a Google search result between October 2006 and September 2013 is entitled to a portion of the $23 million settlement — no matter how small — the tech giant agreed to pay to resolve the class action.
administrator of the settlement build a website For people to submit claims. Estimated personal spending is $7.70, according to the website. But that number can fluctuate based on the number of people making valid claims.
Alphabet Inc.’s Google agreed to the settlement in August.this Joint Class Action Filed in 2013 accuses the company of “storing and deliberately, systematically and repeatedly leaking” users’ search queries and histories to third-party sites and companies.
According to the suit, this amounted to a violation of privacy law and Google’s own privacy promises to users.
The lawsuit argues that Google search queries often contain sensitive and “personally identifiable” information, including “the user’s real name, street address, phone number, credit card number, social security number, financial account number, and more, all of which increase the risk of identity theft. “
Google did not admit to any wrongdoing, and as part of the settlement, Google was required to update its FAQ page and “Key Terms” page to disclose how search queries are shared with third parties.
The court will decide whether to approve the agreement at a hearing on Oct. 12, according to the claims administrator’s website. It was not immediately clear when the payment would be issued. Even if the court finally approves the settlement in October, appeals will slow down the process, Notification of Claims Based on Admin.
Users wishing to file a claim must submit their full name, street address and email address by July 31. Anyone wishing to object to or be excluded from the settlement must submit a form by mail by the same deadline.
Last year, Facebook parent Meta agreed to pay $725 million to settle a similar class-action lawsuit over its handling of user data.
