$13M Google Street View Privacy Class Action Settlement Reached

This week, Google reached a $13 million settlement with customers who claimed that the company illegally gathered Wi-Fi network data with its Street View car fleet. 

Under the terms of the Google class action settlement, the funds will not be given to Class Members, but will instead be distributed to online privacy organizations.

The money will also be used to provide compensation to Class representatives and to pay attorneys’ fees.

The organizations that would benefit from the proposed Google settlement include the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law, the Center for Digital Democracy, the Internet Policy Research Initiative at MIT, the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, the World Privacy Forum, Public Knowledge, and Consumer Reports Inc.

In addition to the money allocated in the Google class action settlement, Google will also be required to dispose of the data collected from Wi-Fi networks.

Additionally, Google will have to set up websites that will inform users of why it is important to encrypt Wi-Fi networks. The websites will also reportedly have to instruct customers on how they can encrypt their data. Per the terms of the settlement agreement, Google will have to maintain these websites for five years.

In the Google street view class action settlement, Google will also be required to notify users and gain their consent before capturing their data.

Google does not admit liability in the street view class action lawsuit, but has agreed to settle in order to avoid the risks and possible costs of continuing litigation.

Class Members expressed approval of the proposed deal, saying that the settlement is an “excellent recovery for the proposed class members and is, therefore, fair, adequate, and reasonable.”

The Class Members went on to stress that they approved of the fact that the settlement will benefits organizations, saying that the settlement deal “is deserving of preliminary approval because it provides the immediate benefits of substantial cy pres donations tailored to serve and promote the interests of class members, and injunctive relief.”

The Google street view class action lawsuit is the result of substantial litigation. The street view multidistrict litigation was formed from multiple Google privacy class action lawsuits that were filed in response to Google’s announcement in 2010 that Street View cars used data from unprotected Wi-Fi networks.

Google did attempt to have the Google Street View multidistrict litigation dismissed in December of the same year. In response, a judge did trim some claims but did not dismiss the entire Google privacy class action lawsuit.

Google reached a settlement around privacy claims in 2013, which was also a cy pres settlement. However, that settlement was challenged in 2013.

The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Jeffrey L. Kodroff, John A. Macoretta and Mary Ann Giorno Geppert of Spector Roseman & Kodroff PC, Daniel A. Small of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC and Elizabeth J. Cabraser, Michael W. Sobol and Melissa Gardner of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP.

The Google Wi-Spy Class Action Lawsuits are consolidated as In re: Google Inc. Street View Electronic Communications Litigation, MDL No. 2184, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
UPDATE: October 2019, the Google Street View class action settlement is now open.Click here to learn more.UPDATE 2: On Jan. 20, 2020, nine attorneys general filed an amicus brief objecting to a $13 million cy pres settlement between Google and consumers which would end a class action lawsuit related to company’s gathering of Wi-Fi data with itsStreet View vehicles.

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