Google reaches tracking settlement, seeks dismissal of discrimination case as others file lawsuits

Google lawsuits overview: 

• Who: Google has been in the news recently. 
• Why: The company faced lawsuits, a settlement, a verdict and a recommendation. 
• Where: Google is an American based company headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. 

Google has recently been targeted with a pair of lawsuits, reached a settlement, had a verdict against it, attempted to dismiss a complaint and received a recommendation from the National Advertising Review Board. 

Google records Verizon Wireless customer service conversations, class action claims

A consumer filed a class action lawsuit against Google last month, arguing the company unlawfully records, accesses, reads and learns Verizon Wireless customer service conversations using its Google Cloud Contact Center AI. 

Google is accused of failing to get consent prior to allegedly recording the calls. 

“Consumers do not expect, nor do they have any reason to suspect, that the virtual agent or any sort of third party is listening in on the conversation,” the Google class action states. 

The consumer behind the complaint wants to represent both a nationwide class and California subclass of individuals who have had their conversations with Verizon customer service read and learned using Google Cloud Contact Center AI. 

Man drowns after driving off bridge based on Google Maps directions, lawsuit says

The wife of a deceased man filed a lawsuit against Google in September, claiming the company bears responsibility for her husband’s drowning death after he allegedly drove off a collapsed bridge into a body of water based on Google Maps directions. 

Google is accused of failing to update its navigation system to reveal the collapse of the Snow Creek Bridge in Hickory, North Carolina, in 2013, despite community members warning it about the danger it presented. 

“(The deceased) suffered the fate that many community residents feared: his vehicle drove off of the unguarded edge of the collapsed bridge and he was injured and killed,” the Google Maps lawsuit states. 

The wife of the deceased man claims Google was negligent, among other things, and seeks punitive damages. 

Google asks judge to axe Flo app data collection claims

Google asked a federal judge in California to dismiss a class action lawsuit last month claiming the company menstrual tracking app Flo improperly gave it sensitive consumer information. 

Google argues the data was not used for any advertising, marketing, ads modeling, machine learning or other purposes that would benefit the company, including selling or profiting off the information. The company claims it has also never paid for any Flo data.

Google agrees to pay $62M over claims it tracked, stored private location data 

Google agreed last month to pay $62 million to end claims it unlawfully tracked and stored the private location data of its users beginning in August 2018. 

The funds will be given to court-approved organizations with a proven track record of dealing with internet privacy concerns. 

Google previously asked a federal judge to dismiss the claims, arguing in 2020 the users behind the complaint failed to show how the company violated their privacy. 

National Advertising Review Board recommends Google stop YouTube TV ad 

The National Advertising Review Board issued a recommendation to Google last month that it stop running an advertisement stating its YouTube TV subscription service is “$600 less than cable.” 

The NARB says it determined the statement misled consumers into believing the price savings would be consistent for all comparable cable services. 

Google, in a statement, says it “disagrees” with the board’s determination that “people watching the challenged commercials will somehow understand ‘cable’ to mean something other than traditional cable television.” 

The company did agree to either modify or cease the advertisement but says it may reconsider at a later time “based on updated information.” 

Google ordered to pay $1.2M to Cloud exec claiming gender discrimination 

Google was ordered to pay $1.2 million last month to a Cloud executive who claimed she was discriminated against because of her gender. 

Ulku Rowe, a technical director on Google Cloud’s financial services team, argued Google retaliated against her after she complained about the alleged discrimination.

Rowe, who argued she missed out on$6.7 million in pay since 2017 on account of being a woman, was awarded $150,000 for emotional distress and $1 million in punitive damages. 

Despite the award, the jury determined Rowe failed to prove Google intentionally paid her less than men. 

Have you ever had issues with Google? What do you think of the Google lawsuits? Let us know in the comments. 

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