Four attorneys general sue Google for allegedly deceiving users over location data

A three-year-long investigation into Google’s privacy practices prompted four separate lawsuits filed on Monday by the attorneys general of the District of Columbia, Texas, Washington, and Indiana, claiming that the tech giant misled users by continuing to track their information even when told not to.

Google, which built a $1.7 trillion business in part by collecting and profiting from user information, made disingenuous privacy claims to consumers since at least 2014, according to the lawsuits. The company coupled false promises with a series of design-based manipulations called “dark patterns” which pressured users’ into allowing Google access to more of their data, the lawsuits claim.

“Google falsely led consumers to believe that changing their account and device settings would allow customers to protect their privacy and control what personal data the company could access,” said D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine. “The truth is that contrary to Google’s representations it continues to systematically surveil customers and profit from customer data. Google’s bold misrepresentations are a clear violation of consumers’ privacy.”