Google headquarters
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Google is settling a children’s privacy class action lawsuit over its “Designed for Families” program on its Play store for more than $8 million.
Lawyers suing Google submitted their request for approval of the $8.25 million agreement this month in California federal court, with lawyers from Silver Golub & Teitell and Lexington Law Group asking for nearly $2.5 million.
“Plaintiffs’ counsel are highly qualified lawyers who have successfully prosecuted high-stakes complex cases and consumer class actions,” the motion for approval says.
“They have devoted the resources necessary to see this case through despite great risk. Their capable representation in this case has included surviving Google’s motion to dismiss in its entirety, pursuing and evaluating discovery, consulting with experts, and negotiating a substantial settlement on behalf of the Settlement Class.”
The suit was filed in 2023 and alleged Google and AdMob Google violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which prohibits websites from collecting personal identifying information for children under 13 years old without parental consent.
The Designed for Families program on Google Play let parents and children find age-appropriate content. It was introduced in 2015 and three years later, Google had put nearly 6,000 apps on Play that were downloaded billions of times.
But the software allowed Google to collect data that was used for advertisements, the lawsuit says. The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office sued Google years ago, leading to a 2021 settlement worth $5 million and a change to business practices.
The ensuing class action got the green light in 2024 when a federal judge denied Google’s motion to dismiss.
