Hyderabad: A US federal jury has ordered Google to pay $425 million in damages in a privacy violation case. The case involves users who had turned off tracking features in their Google accounts, but Google continued to collect their data for eight years.

The jury found Google guilty on two out of three privacy violation charges, though punitive damages were not imposed as malicious intent was not proven. This class-action lawsuit was filed in July 2020 and involves approximately 98 million users and 174 million devices. Users claimed that Google collected data through its relationships with apps like Uber, Venmo, and Instagram.

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Google argued in court that the data collected was not personal and was stored in a secure, encrypted form. Google will appeal this decision. Previously, Google has faced significant fines in several privacy cases, including a $1.4 billion settlement in Texas and an agreement in April 2024 to destroy records of private browsing activities.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad is a historic city in southern India, founded in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. It is renowned for its iconic Charminar monument and the opulent Golconda Fort, which reflect its rich history as the capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty and later the Nizams of Hyderabad.

Google

Google is an American multinational technology company founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. It has since grown from a simple search engine into a global tech giant that develops a vast ecosystem of online services, software, and hardware, fundamentally shaping how people access and use information.

Uber

Uber is a technology company founded in 2009 that provides a platform for ride-hailing, food delivery, and freight transport. It revolutionized urban transportation by connecting independent drivers with passengers via a smartphone app, though its rapid global expansion has been marked by significant regulatory battles and debates over labor practices.

Venmo

Venmo is a mobile payment service founded in 2009, originally designed to allow friends to easily split bills and make payments using their smartphones. It was acquired by PayPal in 2013 and has since evolved into a major social payments platform, where transactions are often shared on a public feed.

Instagram

Instagram is a social media platform founded in 2010 that allows users to share photos and videos. It rapidly grew from a simple photo-sharing app into a major cultural and marketing force after its acquisition by Facebook (now Meta) in 2012.

Texas

Texas is a state in the southern United States with a unique history of being an independent republic before joining the Union in 1845. Its rich cultural identity is deeply influenced by its former status as part of Mexico and its legacy of cattle ranching and oil production.