If the phrase “Google Adwords” rings a bell for you, you might also remember the early days of a lawsuit surrounding one of Google’s advertising products from a bygone era. (Google hasn’t used the Adwords name since 2018.) More than a decade after it was first filed, this lawsuit appears to be on the brink of a settlement — with a certain internet giant agreeing to pay $100 million to bring it to a close.
As The Verge’s Emma Roth writes, the class action lawsuit was initially filed in 2011. The plaintiffs contended that Google was charging advertisers even when people outside of a region specified by those advertisers clicked on a link.
The proposed settlement itself gives a good sense of the expansiveness of the case; the discovery phase began in 2013 and involved the review of over 910,000 pages of documents. In 2023, two classes were certified by the court. The possibility of a settlement has always been in the cards here; the legal documents describe a years-long process of mediation sessions along with the legal hearings.
Google Is Making It Easier for Your Friends to Find You
Find My Device now has a social componentA judge has yet to approve the settlement; if they do so, Google will pay the aforementioned $100 million into a settlement account, which will then be distributed among eligible members of the classes. Assuming that happens, it will conclude a case that contains a part of internet history. “This case was about ad product features we changed over a decade ago and we’re pleased it’s resolved,” a spokesperson for Google told The Verge.
Google is also in the news with a very different legal situation — in this case, one where they’re taking someone to court. The company recently filed a lawsuit against an accused scammer it believes created thousands of false listings on Google Maps.
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