Anne Bucher  |  October 12, 2017

Category: Consumer News

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google play logoGoogle Inc. and Google Payment Corporation are facing a class action lawsuit alleging they needlessly shared personal identifying information about Google Play app purchasers with third party vendors.

Plaintiff Adam Gurno of Minnesota filed the Google Play class action lawsuit in the County of Santa Clara, Calif. in September. It was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Oct. 10.

According to the Google class action lawsuit, every time a person purchased an app from the Google Play store, the buyer was required to use Google Wallet and agree to Google Wallet’s Terms of Service as applicable to the app purchase.

When the buyer made the purchase, they provided information that was used in data “packets” that electronically communicated information to Google, the Google class action lawsuit alleges. These packets included electronic-addressing information that allowed communications about the app purchase to be routed to the Google defendants and personal identifying information (PII) about the buyers.

The contract that buyers entered into when making a Google Play purchase allegedly included terms that precluded Google from sharing PII with app vendors, with some exceptions that were documented in the buyer contract.

According to the Google class action lawsuit, the nondisclosure promises about PII are not applicable when Google Play users download free apps from the Google Play store.

“Defendants did not need to share PII with App Vendors,” Gurno says in the Google class action lawsuit. “Defendants nevertheless shared with App Vendors elements of PII that included one or more of the following: identity (name), street address, city, zip code, email address, or telephone number.”

The unnecessary disclosure of buyers’ PII violates the California Unfair Competition Law, the Google Wallet Terms of Service, consumers’ right to privacy under the California constitution, and violates the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, the Google Play class action lawsuit alleges.

Gurno says he originally signed up for Google’s “Checkout” payment processing service, which was replaced by Google Wallet in November 2011. When he signed up for Checkout, Gurno allegedly provided Google with his personal and credit card information and agreed to the Checkout terms of service.

Gurno says he made several app purchases through Google Play, spending a total of $26.37. Google allegedly retained 30 percent of this sum and sent the remaining 70 percent to the third-party app vendors.

“Plaintiff did not agree that his PII could or would be transmitted to the App Vendors’ Google Wallet Accounts,” the Google class action lawsuit says.

According to the Google Play class action lawsuit, Google has stopped the practice of sharing PII with app vendors.

Gurno filed the Google class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and a proposed Class of: “All individuals in the United States who, between March 1, 2012 and April 30, 2014 (the ‘Class Period’), (i) purchased a Paid App on the Google Play Store that cost less than $300, (ii) using a credit or debit card via their Google Wallet account.”

The Google class action lawsuit also seeks certification of a subclass of Class Members who purchased an app from an app vendor that was located in a European Union member state at the time of sale.

Gurno is represented by Kathryn S. Diemer of Diemer & Wei LLP, Adam E. Urbanczyk of Progressive Law Group LLC, and Rafey Balabanian and Nina Eisenberg of Edelson PC.

The Google Play Privacy Class Action Lawsuit is Adam Gurno v. Google Inc., et al., Case No. 5:17-cv-05824-HRL, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

 

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282 thoughts onGoogle Play Class Action Claims Unnecessary Disclosure of Personal Info

  1. Carol LeFever says:

    Google post Developer Policies then tells you they are only a platform when you want enforcement. I have had bets changed multiple times and Billions stolen by Playtika. They now are controlling my phone key. Google is profiting from APP and does nothing to protect players.

  2. Brandon Gray says:

    Add me. Also need a lawsuit for unauthorized game charges that they refuse to refund including there vendors!

  3. Casey Lynn Ferry says:

    Please Add Me, Entire Dispute of Purchase Histort, Called Google Play Support more than 5 times & got several different answers but first got reassured Foogle will back me, printed history info & took issues to bank, hard to deal with Facebook technical support or really Anyone anymore, Too many Casino games they make it too addicting & false advertising, requesting All Be Refunded & Revoked from going as far back, ASAP b/c I Got Scammed on Facebook Several game ads were overcharged, request further technical support.

  4. Toddy says:

    How bout a lawsuit for corrupted games. Admin and developers use phony bases or 3rd party paid players to make players spend more. It’s theft by deception. Hundreds of billions of dollars there. Google is like the mob boss. They claim they take these matters seriously blah blah blah. All smoke and mirrors in front of a gigantic mountain of stolen cash

  5. June Detrick says:

    Need information on google play hack has maxed credit cards ruined personal back destroying my life.

    1. Top Class Actions says:

      The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!

    2. Brandon says:

      Same

    3. June Detrick says:

      Have they setted yet

  6. Brandon says:

    Start a class action against google play for false info/promises. Fail to give game credits. Fail to eccept returns as. Stated and gambling

  7. Avery Cox says:

    Could you add me to the law suit

  8. Savannah Francis says:

    Please add me to the lawsuit

    1. Top Class Actions says:

      The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!

  9. DEBRA Taylor says:

    Please add meto lawsuit

    1. Top Class Actions says:

      The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!

      1. Lucille Organek says:

        I have been ripped 175 unable to redeem gift card from Google

  10. JULIA THOMPSON says:

    please add me to this class action law suit

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