cross-posted from [email protected]

  • Google will pay $93M to settle a privacy lawsuit in California for violating consumer protection laws.
  • The company was found to have engaged in deceptive practices related to collecting Android users’ location data without proper consent.
  • Users believed disabling “Location History” would stop tracking, but another setting, “Web & App Activity,” remained enabled.
  • As part of the settlement, Google will improve user-friendly account controls and be more transparent about data collection practices.
  • This follows similar lawsuits and fines against Google for privacy violations in other jurisdictions.
  • spwyll@lemdro.idEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    The ratio does matter. The fine is supposed to be a punishment/disincentive, but when that disincentive is less than trivial it no longer disincentivizes. Like a crime punishable by a $250 fine–the working class will follow the law because that’s three days’ but the rich won’t care because it’s a glass of wine at a decent restaurant. Google will simply pay the fine with no reason or intent to stop the questionable behavior because they’ll just pay the trivial fine again when they get caught–just like they’ve been doing for years…