Google ordered to pay $425 million for violating app privacy settings

A U.S. federal jury has ruled that Google must pay $425 million after it was found to have illegally gathered data from users’ mobile applications, even when they had set privacy preferences to block such activity. The lawsuit, which was filed as a class action in 2020, accused Google of intercepting and selling mobile app data without users’ consent. The plaintiffs argued that Google had failed to honor the privacy choices of users who opted out of data collection. Google’s spokesperson responded by saying the company would appeal the decision, asserting that its privacy tools allow users to control their data. The ruling comes amid increasing scrutiny of tech companies’ data practices. Additionally, Google faces other legal challenges around privacy, including hefty fines in France for improper cookie use. The legal battles highlight the ongoing tension between user privacy and companies’ business models based on targeted advertising.