Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is worth $1.6 trillion. Thanks to a recently settled class action lawsuit, you can take a tiny fraction of Google’s money for yourself. It’s not for nothing, of course: Google allegedly abused your data and privacy, and you’re entitled to compensation.
Google’s latest class action settlement
According to Top Class Actions, Google recently settled a case for $23 million. The case argued the search engine giant breached user privacy by sharing customer data with third-party companies without those users’ consent. Specifically, the company allegedly included your search terms in the request link that is initiated whenever you click on a URL in a Google search, revealing those search terms to the sites you visit. This info is contained in what’s called a “referrer header,” which is why this is being called the referrer header settlement.
Chances are, you qualify for the settlement. If you’re a Google Search user who clicked at least one search result between Oct. 26, 2006 and Sept. 30, 2013, you’re entitled to compensation. By the laws of the internet age, that probably applies to just about everybody reading this article. If you tell me you don’t qualify, I won’t believe you, so unless you’re somehow a die-hard Yahoo person, you’ve got a small amount of money coming your way.
Of course, you should know you aren’t entitled to much. While Google agreed to pay $23 million in the overall settlement, the agreement assumes a lot of people qualify for damages. In fact, the current estimated payout stands at $7.70. The overall payout will depend on the number of people who actually file in the settlement, so if it’s less than expected, the payout could increase. If more people file, however, it could be less.
How to submit a claim for the Google settlement
If you were not contacted concerning this settlement, you’ll need to register with the Kroll Settlement Administration. You’ll find that form at this link, where you’ll provide data like your name, address, and email address. You probably won’t receive a response immediately, but when you do, you’ll have a Class Member ID. Use that number when filing your claim here.
Because this is a legal situation, you should only file a claim if you did indeed click a Google search result in that nearly seven year timespan. While there are no questions from the firm about your Google usage, you are submitting under the penalty of perjury. So if you really have Yahoo’d the internet since 2006, you shouldn’t file.
Also of note: By filing a claim, you give up your right to sue Google over this privacy breach in the future. If you have no plans to sue Google, you’re probably safe here, but hey, you never know. Maybe it’s more worth keeping in your back pocket than that estimated $7.70 will be.
