Googlewill pay Arizona $85 million to settle its 2020 lawsuit alleging that the search giant illegally tracks Android users. While global inflation has put all companies in a difficult situation, Google’s imposition of a serious fine may cause the company to have a hard time.
At the time, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Google’He argued that Google continues to track users for targeted advertising even after turning off their location data settings. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Google has been sued by attorneys general in Texas, Washington, DC, and Indiana for similar data-tracking complaints. Brnovich’s office also states that the $85 million settlement is the largest amount Google has paid per user in such a privacy lawsuit.
Google will pay a fine of $ 85 million!
But given that Google currently generates over $69 billion in quarterly revenue, the penalty may seem like a simple downgrade. That’s nothing compared to the $1.7 billion fines imposed on Google by the EU for its malicious advertising practices. Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement that the lawsuit was about changed legacy product policies. “We provide simple controls and automatic deletion options for location data, and we are always working to minimize the data we collect,” he said. “We are pleased that this issue has been resolved and will continue to focus our attention on providing useful products for our users.”
Meanwhile, Brnovich says he is “proud of this historic agreement that proves that no entity, not even big tech companies, is above the law.”