$8.6 Million Payment To MD In Google Privacy Settlement

MARYLAND — Google has agreed to a record $391.5 million settlement with Maryland and 39 other states over its location tracking practices. It is the largest multistate privacy settlement in U.S. history.

Maryland's share of the settlement is $8.6 million, Attorney General Brian E. Frosh said Monday.

The settlement — the largest amount paid to state attorneys general in a privacy investigation — also requires Google to make it easier for consumers to manage their privacy settings when using Google products.

“Google misled Marylanders about its location tracking practices. It built detailed profiles of users but failed to alert them to the extent of the sensitive, personal location information it collected,” Frosh said in a statement. “This settlement will give users greater power to protect their privacy.”

Location data is a key part of Google’s digital advertising business. The personal and behavioral data the search engine collects builds detailed user profiles and targets ads on behalf of advertising customers, state officials said. Location data is among the most sensitive and valuable personal information Google collects.

As detailed in the settlement, the attorneys general found that Google violated state consumer protection laws by misleading consumers about its location tracking practices since at least 2014. Specifically, Google caused users to be confused about the scope of the Location History setting, the fact that the Web & App Activity setting existed and also collected location information, and the extent to which consumers who use Google products and services could limit Google’s location tracking by adjusting their account and device settings.

The investigation into Google's practices began after a 2018 Associated Press article revealed that Google recorded user movements, even when users opted-out. Google's location history is off by default and must be enabled by a user, but it's web and app activity account setting is automatically on when users set up a Google account.

The settlement also requires Google to be more transparent with consumers. Google will be required to make key information about location tracking more prominent in its settings.

Attorney generals from Oregon and Nebraska led the settlement negotiation. Other states that took part in the lawsuit included Florida and Virginia.