The Google Plus class action settlement resolved In re Google Plus Profile Litigation for $7.5 million in 2020, compensating U.S. users whose private profile data was exposed by two software bugs Google disclosed in October and December 2018. Eligible claimants who filed by the October 8, 2020 deadline received electronic payments that, after fees and administrative costs, worked out to roughly $2.15 per person.1Top Class Actions. Google Class Action Ends in $7.5M Settlement
What the Lawsuit Claimed
The case, filed as Case No. 5:18-cv-06164 before Judge Edward J. Davila in the Northern District of California, followed two API vulnerabilities on the Google+ consumer platform.2CourtListener. In re Google Plus Profile Litigation The first, dating back to a 2015 platform redesign, let third-party apps with permission to view one user’s profile also reach the private profile data of that user’s connections. Fields exposed included names, email addresses, occupations, genders, birth dates, and ages. Google estimated up to 500,000 accounts were potentially affected and that 438 external apps could have exploited the flaw, though it said it found no evidence of actual misuse.3Google. Project Strobe: Protecting Your Data, Improving Our Third-Party APIs, and Sunsetting Consumer Google+
A second bug, introduced by a November 2018 software update, exposed private profile data belonging to roughly 52.5 million users over six days.4Wired. Google+ Exposed Data of 52.5 Million Users Google accelerated the consumer Google+ shutdown from August 2019 to April 2019 in response.5Google. Expediting Changes to Google+ Consolidated class action complaints followed, led by plaintiffs Matt Matic and Zak Harris.1Top Class Actions. Google Class Action Ends in $7.5M Settlement
Who Was Eligible
The settlement class covered all U.S. residents who held a consumer Google+ account at any point between January 1, 2015, and April 2, 2019, and whose non-public profile information was exposed by the bugs announced in October and December 2018. To receive payment, claimants had to confirm they had entered private information into at least one profile field and had either shared it with another user or authorized an app to access it. Only one claim was allowed per person, no matter how many Google+ accounts they held.6Classaction.org. Matic et al v. Google Inc. et al Settlement Agreement
Judge Davila granted preliminary approval on June 10, 2020, and the claim deadline was October 8, 2020.7Snopes. Email Google Plus Settlement8KPRC 2 (Click2Houston). Is the Google Plus Settlement Email a Scam Payments were delivered by PayPal or digital check. That window has closed; no further claims can be filed.
What Claimants Actually Received
The settlement agreement set an initial per-claimant payment of $5, with the possibility of up to $12 if surplus funds remained. In practice, payouts came in lower. The $7.5 million fund had to cover attorneys’ fees, administrative costs, and $1,500 service awards to each of the two named plaintiffs before any money reached class members.9Top Class Actions. Google Plus Account Data Breach Class Action Settlement Users who received checks reported payments of roughly $2.15.1Top Class Actions. Google Class Action Ends in $7.5M Settlement Any funds unclaimed after distribution went to court-approved nonprofits as cy pres recipients.6Classaction.org. Matic et al v. Google Inc. et al Settlement Agreement
Were the Settlement Emails Real?
Yes. Notification emails that went out in August 2020 carried the subject line “Notice of Class Action Settlement re Google Plus – Your Rights May Be Affected” and opened with “You are not being sued,” which led many recipients to suspect phishing. Broken links on the settlement site during a brief outage and the claim form’s request for PayPal or banking details deepened the doubts.7Snopes. Email Google Plus Settlement8KPRC 2 (Click2Houston). Is the Google Plus Settlement Email a Scam Google confirmed the emails were legitimate, and the settlement administrator, Angeion Group, fixed the broken links and directed users to the official site, GooglePlusDataLitigation.com.10Google Support. Notice About Class Action Settlement for Google Plus
The Objection and Appeal
One class member, Steven Davis, objected to the settlement in August 2020 and to the attorneys’ fee request that October. After Judge Davila approved the settlement and terminated the case on January 25, 2021, Davis appealed to the Ninth Circuit.2CourtListener. In re Google Plus Profile Litigation
The parties resolved the appeal by side agreement. Class counsel returned $100,000 of their original $1,875,000 fee award to the settlement fund and reimbursed Davis $800 in costs. Counsel also agreed to propose changes to the district court’s class action settlement guidelines. Davis dismissed his appeal with prejudice, and the Ninth Circuit remanded the case on May 7, 2021, for approval of the agreement.11Angeion Group. Motion to Approve Settlement With Objector