Google to pay Indiana $20M to settle location tracking suit News
Google to pay Indiana $20M to settle location tracking suit

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced Friday a settlement agreement with Google LLC over violations of the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act (DCSA).

The agreement orders Google to pay Indiana $2 million within 60 days, and the proceeds may be used for any purpose allowable under Indiana law. Additionally, the agreement mandates that Google have “pop-up” notifications to inform users if their location history is enabled. The agreement also orders Google to maintain a webpage disclosing its practices and policies concerning customer location information. Lastly, Google must provide instructions to users about location-related settings and has to report its compliance with the agreement.

In response to the agreement, Rokita stated, “This settlement is another manifestation of our steadfast commitment to protect Hoosiers from Big Tech’s intrusive schemes. We will continue holding these companies accountable for their improper manipulation of consumers.”

Indiana sued Google for unfair business practices under Indiana law and violating DCSA. The complaint asserted that Google “deceives” customers regarding their ability to protect their privacy through Google account and device settings. The complaint also argued that location data can be used to infer personal details as well as major life events about customers.

On December 28, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that guardians can sue Google for tracking their children’s YouTube activity without consent.