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Google’s $62 million Location History settlement was real and received final court approval on April 18, 2024. But it is not a new payout announcement: settlement-class members do not receive checks or other direct payments. The fund covers court-approved fees and costs, with the remaining balance designated for privacy-focused nonprofits. Google denied wrongdoing and did not admit liability.
What did the $62 million settlement cover?
The case, In re: Google Location History Litigation, was a federal class action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Plaintiffs alleged that Google collected and stored location information when a user’s Google Account Location History setting was disabled. The settlement resolved those claims; it was not a trial finding that Google violated the law. Google denied the allegations. The settlement website and official FAQ describe the claims and Google’s position.
The settlement defined Location Information broadly. It could include data linking a person or device to a place at a particular time through GPS coordinates, IP addresses, cell-tower data, Wi-Fi access points or Bluetooth. That is broader than GPS location alone, but it does not mean the court found that Google continuously tracked every class member’s movements.
Location History is not the same as every location control
Location History was a Google Account setting central to this lawsuit. Web & App Activity is a separate account setting that can also affect location-related information. Phone-level location permissions and individual app settings are separate controls again. The settlement concerned specific allegations and practices; it did not establish that turning off one setting prevents all Google or app-related location collection.
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Was the settlement approved, and when?
Yes. Judge Edward J. Davila granted final approval after a fairness hearing on April 18, 2024. Preliminary approval is the earlier stage that allows notice and gives class members an opportunity to object or exclude themselves; final approval is the court’s decision approving the deal. The final approval order records the approval and approved awards.
Who was in the settlement class?
The court-approved class covered natural persons residing in the United States who used one or more mobile devices and whose Location Information Google stored while Location History was disabled at some point from January 1, 2014, through December 4, 2023. Certain people were excluded, including specified Google personnel, court personnel and people who timely and validly excluded themselves. The court-authorized notice sets out the class definition.
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Owning an Android phone, using Google Maps or remembering that Location History was off does not by itself establish that someone met the class definition. It depended on whether the relevant information was stored and whether the person met the settlement’s criteria. The court described the class as approximately 247.7 million U.S. mobile-device users; that is an approximate class estimate, not a proven count of people whose every movement was tracked.
Why are class members not receiving checks?
The settlement notice says no money will be paid directly to class members. The court considered individual payments impractical given the estimated class size, the small amount each person could receive, and the expense of identifying, validating and paying so many people.
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As a rough illustration, dividing the full $62 million fund equally among approximately 247.7 million people would yield about 25 cents per person before attorneys’ fees, service awards, administration or other costs. The court cited that kind of small hypothetical recovery in assessing the distribution method; 25 cents was not a promised payment.
Where does the $62 million go?
Google agreed to pay $62 million into a non-reversionary settlement fund. Approved deductions include attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, service awards for class representatives, notice and settlement administration, taxes and other permitted costs. The balance is distributed through a cy pres process to approved privacy-focused nonprofit organizations, rather than to individual class members. The settlement agreement describes the fund structure.
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The final order approved $18.6 million in attorneys’ fees, $151,756.23 in litigation expenses and $5,000 for each of the three class representatives. The fee award was 30% of the $62 million fund. These approved amounts are not the entire fund: administration and other permitted costs also apply before the remaining balance is distributed to nonprofits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What changes did Google agree to make?
The settlement also required changes to certain practices and disclosures. The court described obligations lasting at least three years, including notices to users with Location History or Web & App Activity enabled explaining how those settings collect Location Information, how to disable them and where to find more information. Google also agreed to revise certain practices and disclosures related to location-information collection.
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Those terms should not be read as a promise that Google stopped collecting all location-related data whenever Location History is off. They are specific settlement commitments, not a universal prohibition on location-data collection.
How this differs from Google’s $391.5 million state settlement
The $62 million deal is separate from the $391.5 million multistate settlement Google reached in 2022 with 40 state attorneys general over location-tracking practices. The matters involved related privacy concerns, but had different plaintiffs, legal processes and terms.
| Settlement | Amount | Who brought it | Direct payments to users? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location History class action | $62 million | Private plaintiffs in federal court | No; the settlement provides no direct class-member payments. |
| Multistate location-practices settlement | $391.5 million | 40 state attorneys general | It was a separate state-level matter, not this class-action payment program. |
The Colorado Attorney General’s announcement describes the separate multistate agreement. Its amount and terms should not be confused with the $62 million class-action fund.
Quick Recap
What should you do if you see a payment claim?
- Do not expect a check or online payment from this settlement, and do not assume there is a claim form for a cash award.
- Treat messages asking for bank credentials or promising a guaranteed “Google Location History settlement” payment as suspicious.
- Verify case information through the official settlement website or the court order.
- Review Google Account settings, device permissions and app-specific controls separately; changing one does not necessarily change the others.
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