Google has reached a $391.5 million setlement with 40 states, including North Dakota, over its location tracking practices related to Google Account settings.
North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley says the state will receive $4.1 million dollars from what he calls the largest multi-state Attorney General privacy settlement in U-S history.
Wrigley says the investigation and settlement focused on Google’s deceptive practices regarding data collection, retention, and use.
Privacy concerns were raised when it was revealed in 2018 that Google records your movements, even when you tell it not to.
The settlement requires Google to be more transparent with consumers about its practices.
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(ND Attorney General release: )
Attorney General Drew Wrigley has announced that, along with 39 other
Attorneys General, North Dakota has reached a $391.5 million multistate settlement with Google over
its location tracking practices related to Google Account settings. Wrigley noted that this is the largest
multistate Attorney General privacy settlement in the history of the U.S., and that North Dakota will
receive $4.1M from the settlement.
The investigation and subsequent settlement focused on Google’s deceptive practices regarding data
collection, retention, and use. Privacy concerns were raised when it was revealed in 2018 that Google
records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to. North Dakota joined in the multi-state
investigation at that time. “This was alarming. Google’s actions in this regard were contrary to tenets
of consumer protection that require the consumers’ permission or, at a minimum, appropriate
disclosures to the users so they could make informed decisions,” Wrigley said.
The settlement requires Google to be more transparent with consumers about its practices. From this
point forth, Google must:
• Show additional information to users whenever they turn a location-related account setting
“on” or “off”;
• Make key information about location tracking easily transparent to users; and
• Give users detailed information about the types of location data Google collects and how it is
used at an enhanced “Location Technologies” webpage.
Wrigley encourages that consumers help avoid identity theft by paying even closer attention to their
privacy and the use of their online information. Anyone with questions about the settlement or related
topics can contact the North Dakota Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Protection at
701.328.3404.
“This historic settlement not only limits Google’s retention and use of North Dakota users’ data, but
also allows consumers to make informed decisions about their data,” said Wrigley.
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