{"id":2334,"date":"2022-12-01T03:59:32","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T11:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/?p=2334"},"modified":"2023-12-06T06:37:46","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T14:37:46","slug":"google-reaches-392-million-settlement-in-location-tracking-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ssls.com\/blog\/google-reaches-392-million-settlement-in-location-tracking-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Google reaches $392 million settlement in location tracking investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Google has agreed to pay a record-breaking settlement after 40 US state attorneys investigated the tech giant\u2019s tracking practices. At $392 million, it is the largest privacy settlement ever. The main issue at the center of the investigation was Google\u2019s misleading privacy practices, which Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum described as<\/a> prioritizing \u201cprofit over their users\u2019 privacy\u201d. 
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What happened?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The investigation was launched following a 2018 Associated Press<\/a> article alleging that Google \u201crecords your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to.\u201d The investigation found that between 2014 and 2018, both iPhones and Android phones tracked user movement even when the Location History setting was turned off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Google claimed it didn\u2019t record the places users visited when it was turned off, AP found this was not the case, particularly if a user opened the Google Maps app or searched for something unrelated to location. This is because another setting called Web & App Activity was likely still turned on. While Google said users could turn off these settings and delete their histories at any time, AP found it was a difficult task for the average user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly, the data collected from these settings was believed to be shared with advertisers to boost revenue. Like most other tech companies, Google uses personal and behavioral data to create detailed user profiles for ad targeting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google\u2019s response<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As part of the settlement, Google must also show users additional information when they turn a location-related account setting on or off, ensure information about location tracking is not hidden, and clearly inform users about the types of information it collects and how it is used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the announcement of the settlement, Google published a blog post<\/a> outlining the changes they would make to manage location data going forward. While the company is quick to clarify that the settlement is based on \u201coutdated product policies that we changed years ago\u201d it said it would make updates in the coming months to give greater transparency to users. This includes simplified deletion of location data and creating a comprehensive information hub that explains why location data helps improve their services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


This isn\u2019t the only privacy debacle Google has been embroiled in in recent months because of that 2018 AP article. In October, the company paid a settlement of $85 million to the state of Arizona for shady tracking practices. It\u2019s currently facing a lawsuit<\/a> from four other states over deceptive Android location tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protect your online privacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When all these apps and services have become an integral part of our everyday lives, it can be hard to figure out how much we\u2019re being tracked and the type of data being gleaned. If you\u2019re concerned, now is the time to turn off app tracking on your mobile device. Here\u2019s how to do it on iPhone<\/a>.
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Android currently requires a few extra steps. Start by heading to the settings app on your phone. Then:
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