Gmail Privacy Practices Included Scanning Emails of Non-Gmail Users

Prior to a Gmail class action settlement, Google allegedly scanned emails that were sent to Gmail accounts from email systems managed outside of Gmail. According to Gmail privacy lawsuits and allegations brought forward by consumers, this was a violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act.

Although the scanning ended due to a settlement achieved in August 2017, non-Gmail users who had their emails scanned by the company could be entitled to statutory damages of $5,000.

The 2017 settlement didn’t allow for damages from any individual Class Members, but Google agreed as a result of that case to eliminate certain incoming mail scanning systems and to hold back on some of the processing systems they’d used in the past for outgoing mail.

A group of consumers who had their non-Gmail messages scanned in the past could be entitled to statutory damages due to this Gmail privacy issue.

Most Gmail users understand that the company scans their email messages looking for relevant information that could be used for advertising purposes. However, users of non-Gmail accounts argue that they never provided their permission to have the emails they sent to a Gmail account reviewed and stored.

Those email senders argue that Gmail privacy practices could have affected thousands of people who were not aware that their private messages to people using Gmail accounts were being collected and analyzed by the tech company in order to present advertising offers.

According to previous lawsuits filed over the Gmail privacy issue, Google was collecting the data from these non-Gmail accounts for advertising purposes. Plaintiffs’ counsel from last year’s Gmail class action settlement shared that due to class certification challenges, many of the affected consumers would instead be pursuing the route of seeking individual statutory damage claims against the company.

Those who could be entitled to recover compensation in the form of damages include users of other email systems who had their messages scanned and collected by Google. Users of AOL, Yahoo, Microsoft, or other email systems could be eligible for compensation.

While this investigation concerns the California Invasion of Privacy Act, other states have similar laws on the books, including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Florida, and Maryland. Participation for recovery in a Gmail privacy issue case requires that the person bringing forth a claim did not have a Gmail account before October 2017 and that person must have sent messages to a Gmail account between Aug. 1, 2017 and Sept. 23, 2017.

Many consumers who have already come forward with concerns about Gmail privacy allege that their email was analyzed, scanned, and catalogued by the Internet giant without their consent. These users claim that they never provided their consent to have their emails read and to have information stored from them.

In 2016, just under 1,000 claims of this nature were settled by Google, and an early 2018 injunction required the company to change their practices related to email scanning. However, there are still plenty of people who might have had their privacy violated before then. Those affected by Gmail privacy issues should be prepared to pursue individual cases for possible recovery.

Join a Free Gmail Email Scanning Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

You may qualify for this Google privacy violation lawsuit investigation if:

• You’ve never had a Gmail account (at least not before October 2017).
• You sent an email to a Gmail account between Aug. 1, 2017, and Sept. 23, 2017.

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