Google has agreed to pay $391.5 million to settle with 40 US states for misleading users about the collection of personal location data, making it the largest attorney general-led consumer privacy settlement ever, according to the US Department of Justice.
The authorities started the investigation into Google collection practice following a 2018 Associated Press article that revealed Google “records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to.”
According to the article, there are two settings responsible for the location data collection, the “Location History” and “Web & App Activity”. The former is “off” by default while the latter is automatically enabled when users set up a Google account, including all Android users.
Location data represent the core of the digital advertising business of the IT giant. However, location data can be used to expose a person’s identity and routines, and even get personal details.
Google violated state consumer protection laws by misleading consumers about its location tracking practices since at least 2014.
The settlement requires Google to be more transparent about its practices. In particular.