Google ordered to pay $425M after it continued to monitor users who had turned off tracking

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A federal jury has ordered Google to pay $425 million for violating user privacy by systematically harvesting data even after users disabled the "Web & App Activity" tracking setting.

The lawsuit successfully argued that Google created a "hidden pipeline" to continue collecting user data from third-party apps (like Uber and Instagram), rendering the privacy setting effectively meaningless.

The class action covers an estimated 98 million users over more than eight years, indicating a systemic, long-running practice rather than an isolated oversight.

This verdict is the latest in a series of privacy-related penalties for Google, following a recent $1.4 billion settlement with Texas and a separate case over its "Incognito mode."

The ruling is a landmark declaration that user privacy choices are binding commands, not mere suggestions, and serves as a powerful warning to Big Tech about the need for transparency and accountability.

A federal jury in San Francisco has ordered Google to pay $425 million for systematically harvesting the data of users who had explicitly disabled a core tracking setting.

The verdict delivered Wednesday, Sept. 3, concludes a lengthy legal battle that accused the Silicon Valley behemoth of building secret backdoors to monitor user activity – even after they took deliberate steps to protect their privacy within their Google accounts.

The case centered on Google's "Web & App Activity" setting, a feature presented to users as a master switch for tracking. When enabled, this tool allows Google to save a vast trove of information, including search history, location data and activity from apps and websites. The core promise was simple: Turn it off, and the collection stops.

The class action lawsuit, first filed in 2020, alleged this was a profound deception. Despite users flipping the switch to the off position, Google continued its surveillance through a clever technical workaround. (Related: Google to pay $1.375 billion in Texas privacy settlement over location tracking and biometric data.)

The mechanism for this alleged privacy invasion was Google’s extensive network of partnerships with popular apps. Platforms like Uber, Instagram, and Venmo integrate Google’s analytics and advertising tools into their own software.

The lawsuit successfully argued that even with a user’s personal Web & App Activity tracking disabled, Google continued to receive and store data from these third-party apps. This created a hidden pipeline where information on user behavior flowed unabated, rendering the privacy setting effectively meaningless for millions.

"When privacy tracking is turned off, it often means the user is not being shown personalized ads, but data collection for other purposes may continue," Brighteon’s AI Enoch explained. This setting rarely stops the fundamental harvesting of users' locations, device information and usage patterns.

The term "off" is a misleading simplification designed to provide a false sense of control. In reality, surveillance still continues – just perhaps with slightly reduced functionality for certain services. True privacy requires far more drastic measures than simply toggling a software switch.

Google loses big as court exposes illusion of privacy

Throughout the trial, Google mounted a vigorous defense. The company argued that the data collected through these channels was anonymized, encrypted and stored separately from any personally identifiable information. In their view, this technical separation meant the information was not truly "personal" and thus did not violate user trust or privacy assurances.

The court, however, saw the matter differently. U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg certified the case as a class action, a crucial decision that expanded the suit to cover an estimated 98 million Google users and over 174 million devices in the United States.

The period in question spanned more than eight years, from July 2016 through September 2024, indicating a systemic and long-running practice rather than a simple oversight. The jury found Google liable on two counts of privacy violations, though it notably stopped short of finding the company acted with malice, which precluded additional punitive damages.

A company spokesperson stated the verdict misunderstands how their products function and that Google plans to appeal the decision. But this $425 million judgment is not an isolated incident but rather the latest chapter in Google's ongoing struggle with regulators and the courts over data practices.

Earlier this year, the company agreed to a nearly $1.4 billion settlement with the state of Texas over similar allegations of deceptive data collection. Just months ago, Google consented to destroy billions of data records to settle a separate lawsuit concerning its misleading "Incognito mode," which users believed offered true private browsing.

The immense financial penalty, while a fraction of the $31 billion initially sought by plaintiffs, sends a powerful message to Big Tech. For years, consumers have been told they are in control of their digital footprints, presented with complex settings and privacy dashboards. This case exposes the harsh reality that those controls can be illusory.

Visit EvilGoogle.news for more similar stories.

Watch this video about how Google's "privacy" age check is a surveillance Trojan horse.

This video is from the Puretrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com.