Republican Attorneys General Urge Ninth Circuit to Reject Google Privacy Settlement, Cite Misallocation of Funds

Recently, a coalition of 20 Republican state attorneys general, led by Lowa, has called on the Ninth Circuit to reject a $62 million consumer privacy settlement with Google. The settlement stems from allegations that Google unlawfully tracked location data for 247.7 million U.S. users who had disabled their location history. The state argues that the settlement disproportionately benefits third-party organizations with political agendas, rather than providing compensation to the affected class members.

The attorney general, representing states such as Florida, Ohio and Virginia, contends that the funds are being directed to groups focused on issues like environmental justice, abortion and sexuality, which they claim have no connection to the core privacy claims in the claim have no connection to the core privacy claims in the case. Google, which denies any wrongdoing, defended the settlement, stating that the organizations promote online privacy. The states are seeking a reconsideration of the recipients, urging that the funds be allocated to groups more closely aligned with the interests of the class members.

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