Google settled multi-state allegations that it collected personal data from unsecured wireless networks during Street View operations without user consent. The settlement requires Google to destroy the collected data, refrain from future non-consensual collection, implement a 10-year employee privacy training program, and run a public advertising campaign. New Jersey's share of the settlement is approximately $147,000.
Google must destroy all collected payload data, cease collecting personal data from wireless networks without notice and consent, establish a 10-year employee training program on privacy, and conduct a public service advertising campaign to educate consumers about securing wireless networks.
In-house legal teams should review vendor, customer, data processing, and employee agreements for clauses governing data collection consent, data retention and destruction, privacy training obligations, and consumer education requirements. Specifically, examine consent mechanisms for network data harvesting, strict data destruction timelines, long-term employee training provisions, and any geolocation or confidential information handling terms. Changes may involve adding explicit opt-in consent for data from unsecured networks, mandating immediate data destruction post-collection, incorporating decade-long privacy training programs, and including clauses that prohibit use of payload data in products without authorization, while also assessing obligations for public advertising campaigns to educate consumers.
Entity
Industry
Technology"Google"
"Google is alleged to have collected data from unsecured wireless networks nationwide while taking photographs for its Street View service between 2008 and March 2010."
$700.0M
Antitrust enforcement action where Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield secured a $700 million settlement from Google for anticompetitive practices in the Google Play Store. The settlement will provide automatic payouts to consumers who made purchases between August 2016 and September 2023, and requires Google to change its practices to stop the anticompetitive conduct. The settlement is pending court approval as of April 30, 2026.
$1.4B
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $1.375 billion settlement with Google for unlawfully tracking Texans' geolocation data, incognito browsing activity, and biometric identifiers without consent. This is the largest single-state privacy settlement against Google, significantly larger than multistate settlements. The agreement resolves two major privacy enforcement actions brought by Texas.
$1.4B
Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Google for unlawfully tracking and collecting Texans' private data, including geolocation, incognito searches, and biometric data. The case resulted in a $1.375 billion settlement, the largest ever against Google for state privacy enforcement, marking a major win for data privacy rights.
$93.0M
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $93 million settlement with Google resolving allegations that the company violated state consumer protection laws through deceptive location-privacy practices. Google was accused of falsely telling users that turning off the “Location History” setting would stop location data collection, while continuing to collect and use location data for user profiling and targeted advertising without informed consent. In addition to the monetary penalty, Google must implement several injunctive measures to increase transparency and user control over location tracking.
$391.5M
Google settled with 40 state attorneys general over allegations that it misled consumers about location tracking practices. Google will pay $391.5 million and must enhance transparency and user controls for location data collection.
$391.5M
Connecticut and 39 other states secured a $391.5 million settlement with Google for misleading consumers about location tracking and continuing to collect data after users opted out. The settlement mandates Google to enhance transparency and user controls for location settings, including clear disclosures and user-friendly account controls.