Google Settles Israeli Location Data Lawsuits for $8.3 Million
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Google has agreed to a settlement of approximately 8.3 million shekels in two Israeli class-action lawsuits alleging the unlawful collection of user location data. The lawsuits claimed Google tracked users even when location services were turned off. The settlement, approved by the Tel Aviv District Court, includes non-monetary remedies aimed at increasing transparency about data usage. Google stated the case involves features that are no longer relevant.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Google will pay 8.3 million shekels to settle Israeli class-action lawsuits over location data collection.
- The lawsuits alleged Google tracked user locations without proper consent, even when services were off.
- The Tel Aviv District Court approved the settlement, which includes non-monetary remedies.
- Funds will go to a privacy protection initiative, and Google committed to increased data usage transparency.
- Google stated the case involves features that are no longer relevant.
A Tel Aviv District Court has approved a settlement in two consolidated class-action lawsuits against Google concerning allegations of unlawfully collecting location data from users of Android and Apple's iOS operating systems without informed consent. As part of the settlement, Google will pay a total of approximately 8.3 million shekels (about 4 million shekels in each case) without admitting liability. The funds will be transferred to a class action management fund and allocated to privacy protection initiatives.
The lawsuits, originally filed in 2017 and 2022, claimed that Google continued to track users' locations for advertising and commercial purposes even after users had turned off location services or the location history function on their devices. Google had sought to dismiss the lawsuits, denying the claims and asserting that it provides users with clear and transparent information about its functions and privacy settings.
Following mediation, the parties reached the settlement agreements. In addition to the monetary compensation, Judge Rachel Barkai noted that the settlements include several non-monetary remedies. Some of these measures have already been implemented in the US and Israel, while Google has committed to implementing the rest following the settlement's approval. These steps include sending emails to users, displaying banners, and providing links to informational pages to increase transparency regarding Google's use of location data.
Attorneys Amit Manor of Amit Manor-Yuki Shemesh and Elran Shapira Bar-Or represented the plaintiffs in the two lawsuits separately. A Google spokesperson stated that the company reached a settlement in these cases, which pertain to features that are no longer relevant.