⚖The Truth Behind the $62 Million Google Privacy Settlement
The Google Location Privacy Settlement Scandal
Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are." - Benjamin Franklin
A disturbing trend in consumer protection has emerged, leaving millions of consumers and their families without compensation while enriching lawyers and special interest groups. According to John Stossel's investigation, the recent $62 million Google location privacy settlement exemplifies how class action lawsuits can fail the very people they're meant to protect.
Google gets caught tracking your family's location even when you specifically turned off location tracking. Instead of compensating the 247.7 million affected users, the settlement money took a surprising detour.3
The lawyers pocketed $18 million, and the remaining $43 million went to various non-profit organizations, leaving zero compensation for affected families
The distribution of funds reveals a troubling pattern of self-dealing. Six attorneys or Google employees involved in the case held board positions at organizations receiving millions from the settlement. 1
Even more concerning, Google directed money to organizations it was already supporting, essentially using the settlement to fund its existing charitable commitments. 4
While the lawyers argued that distributing the money to individuals would result in merely 25 cents per person, the alternative they chose raises serious questions about justice and accountability 4
The settlement money now funds various advocacy groups and university programs, including:
Harvard, MIT, Yale, and other educational institutions
ACLU's various technology projects ($7.5 million total)
Electronic Privacy Organizations 4
The Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute has filed an appeal on behalf of three objectors, arguing that the settlement funds could and should have been distributed to the affected users. Despite these objections, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila approved the settlement, claiming it would provide indirect benefits to class members through advocacy. 5
This settlement represents a concerning trend in class action lawsuits where the actual victims receive nothing while lawyers and special interest groups reap substantial rewards. When asked to explain why this arrangement isn't a scam, neither the attorneys nor the judge provided an answer. 4
Google started US and global censorship. All while the same folks worked at the Obama Whitehouse for 8 years. They are a lot more guiltier than you realize. Google is synonymous with censorship. And not just on their site.