Google agrees to pay a whopper $391 million to settle privacy allegations

Google has agreed to pay $391 million to settle privacy allegations brought forth by 40 states in the US. The states alleged that Google mislead customers about collecting location data and illegally tracked user locations without telling them.

In addition to the settlement, Google has also been ordered to be transparent with their data collection policies and has been told to set up a special web page that explains what data is being tracked and when.

According to Govtech, the court papers said that Google's location data policies, "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."

"When consumers make the decision to not share location data on their devices, they should be able to trust that a company will no longer track their every move," Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said in a statement shared with Reuters.

"This settlement makes it clear that companies must be transparent in how they track customers and abide by state and federal privacy laws," Miller added.

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Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said that the investigation was based on, "outdated product policies" that have now been changed.

In a blog post, Google said that it will be, "making updates in the coming months to provide even greater controls and transparency over location data."

The overhaul will include a complete revamp of user information hubs, tools for simple deletion of location data, and an updated account set-up that will be more transparent about its policies.

The case was initially opened in 2018 following a report by the Associated Press that found Google's mobile services still stored location data even if a user had opted out.