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Google The Courts Security

Settlement for Google+ Breach Offers Class Members Up to $12 Each (theverge.com) 67

Posted by EditorDavid from the that-settles-it dept.
"Anyone in the United States who held a Google Plus account between January 1, 2015 and April 2, 2019, and believes they were impacted by a security flaw that Google disclosed in 2018 can now register for a payout from a class action settlement..." reports the Verge.

"Each class action member is eligible for a payout of up to $12 after attorney fees and other costs are accounted for, although this could vary depending on the number of people who submit a claim." Although it's reached a settlement, Google denies the allegations made in the lawsuit. It denies any wrongdoing, and believes that no users "sustained any damages or injuries due to the software bugs."

If you're interested in making a claim, then you can do so over on the settlement's website, where you'll need to provide the email address associated with your Google Plus account. As well as holding an account between the dates listed, your data must have been exposed as part of the security lapse (Google has previously said that as many as 500,000 users were affected). A final fairness hearing is scheduled for November 19.
Google has set aside $7.5 million to handle all costs associated with the settlement, according to the claims page at GooglePlusDataLitigation.com.

"If you submit a Valid Claim by October 8, 2020, you may receive a payment. You will also give up your rights to sue Google and/or any other released entities regarding the legal claims in this case."
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Settlement for Google+ Breach Offers Class Members Up to $12 Each More

Settlement for Google+ Breach Offers Class Members Up to $12 Each

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  • Here, have a latte. Go home. Nothng to see .

  • "eligible for a payout of up to $12 after attorney fees"

    You could buy a picture of the attorneys' yachts!

    • I am guessing the entire settlement was a token amount simply to make the attorneys happy to take the problem away. Attorneys get a couple of mill and the some pennies for those actually harmed.
  • Seriously, there needs to be rules that cap lawyers' fees to be equal to the settlement award...
    • If I remember correctly, the lawyer fees for the settlement are fixed. It wasn't a large settlement and any money not going to "victims" is scheduled to go a charity of some sort. Fact of the matter is I doubt many people will honestly qualify. You have to have had a Google+ account, have used the account, and have sent a private message on it all between 2015-2018. I far as I have followed things, not many people were using Google+ by that point . Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on something thou

      • Re: A whole $12! (Score:4, Interesting)

        by Darinbob ( 1142669 ) on Sunday August 09, 2020 @02:04PM (#60383243)

        Also, the point of a class action suit is not to enrich lawyers, or even get the plaintiffs a lot of money. The point is to be damaging enough to the one being sued that they change their behavior.

        (Then google goes and settles, which means potentially less damages being paid overall, and the lawyers say "hell ya, guaranteed fee paid versus a chance of no fee paid!")

        • There's another effect usually - anyone that takes a piece of the settlement agrees to indemnify the defendant in the case. Meaning that there are a whole lot of people that will be getting up to $12, but Google gets a massive litigation shield for a pittance of $7M.

          • Only in a settlement, not if the case went to trial. So the four class representatives, not the class as a whooe, get $1500 each. The lawyers just have to say "take the $1500!". If they do, the lawyers get a large fee and Google sees the problem go away.

      • You have to have had a Google+ account, have used the account, and have sent a private message on it all between 2015-2018. I far as I have followed things, not many people were using Google+ by that point

        I was using it, but I wasn't aware of this private message feature.

    • Settlement is 7.5 mil, 25 percent of that plus 200,000 for expenses goes to lawyers. That is roughly just over $2,000,000.00 to the lawyers.

      Around $5,400,000 is reserved for actual people, so that is just over 450,000 individuals that might get $12, if it is more claimants your share goes down from a movie ticket to a slice of pie. Enjoy your rewards, I know the lawyers are.

    • > Seriously, there needs to be rules that cap lawyers' fees to be equal to the settlement award.

      You think the attorneys fees should be no more than the $7.5 million settlement. Well, the attorneys asked for and got $200K.

    • Class actions are meant to punish the company not compensate the victims.

    • While the lawyer fees are likely to be ~ 25% of the settlement, the problem is the settlement is for like $7M and there are hundreds of thousands included in the class. So really, the lawyers will be the only ones that make out good here while Google gets indemnity from anyone that signs up for their max of $12.

      This is basically like the Equifax breach settlement - Equifax wanted everyone to sign up for that class action settlement that they could, because that way it's a one-time cost rather than potentia

  • Can we file a class action lawsuit against these attorneys for malpractice if all the class members are not paid by the settlement?

    They represent the class members. They are ostensibly fighting for the interests of the class members. But, if they collect their fees and leave town without actually getting payment to the class members, it should be seen as malpractice.

    The fees they collect can not exceed a percentage, may be 33% of the money actually disbursed. Some rule like that is needed. Otherwise there

    • If you're not happy with these lawyers, you can always opt out of the settlement and pursue your own.

    • The $7.5 million is going to class members (and $200K) to the attorneys. The amount going to class members is known and fixed.

      The variable is if you've changed your email address or ignore the notices, there will be fewer claimants, so each claimant will get more. $7.5 million will be divided between the claimants.

      • Incorrect. From the Notice of Class Action Settlement:

        Amount of Payments: Class Members who submit a Valid Claim may receive a pro rata share of the Net Settlement Fund up to a cash payment of $12.00 depending on the number of claimants. Each Class Member can submit only one claim. Any funds remaining in the Net Settlement Fund after distribution(s) to Class Members will be distributed to Cy Pres Recipients that have been selected by a neutral third party and approved by the Court.

        A maximum of $12 per clai

    • Re:The attorney fee must be based on actual paymen (Score:5, Insightful)

      by green1 ( 322787 ) on Sunday August 09, 2020 @01:26PM (#60383103)

      In this case the lawyer's fees were set at 25%. an additional administration fee of $200,000 (2.67%) was also set. so while your thought is good, this payout already falls well below your proposed 33% cap.

      I think the bigger issue really is that we actually believe a penalty of $12 per person (plus administration and lawyer fees) will have any effect on corporate behaviour.

      If I commit a crime, there is no possible scenario in which I am convicted, and have no punishment other than to pay a $12 fine. Doesn't matter how minor an offence, there are no offences with prescribed penalties that low. Companies should not be that much of an exception. 7 million dollars sounds like a lot, and it sure would be to me or you, but our court system just isn't good at thinking of scale. things need to be proportional to the individual/organization involved if we ever want these things to be seen as an actual deterrent to change corporate behaviour rather than just the cost of doing business.

      • Google pays more than that every month to top youtube channels.

      • Google didn't admit to committing a crime and therefore have not been convicted of a crime. This is a civil penalty with no admission of criminal wrongdoing. Furthermore, since accepting the $12 requires plaintiffs to confirm "You will also give up your rights to sue Google and/or any other released entities regarding the legal claims in this case.", Google will not need to admit criminal wrongdoing in the future.

      • It depends on the company. If it's Google, $7.5M is a laugher - they probably spend more than that on energy drinks in the cafeteria in a month.

        This no-fault settlement is the cheapest indemnification money can buy.

    • > The fees they collect can not exceed a percentage, may be 33% of the money actually disbursed. Some rule like that is needed. Otherwise there is no incentive for them

      The $7.5 million is going to class members. The attorneys asked for, and got, $200K. The amount going to class members is known and fixed.

      The variable is if you've changed your email address or ignore the notices, there will be fewer claimants, so each claimant will get more. $7.5 million will be divided between the claimants.

      So the att

  • Hurt the stock value (Score:3)

    by fluffernutter ( 1411889 ) on Sunday August 09, 2020 @01:00PM (#60383035)
    Class action suits are meaningless unless the penalties are enough to affect stock price. That is what is off kilter here. Hurt the stocks and then investors have to start thinking about how these companies operate and then we will have true change. By this I mean take away 25% of company value.

  • "Anyone in the United States who held a Google Plus account between January 1, 2015 and April 2, 2019,"

    Wasn't that the time when everybody was unwillingly enrolled there automatically, when creating a GMail address and had jump through a dozen hoops to get out?

  • boy that will make Google re think things. NOT!
    Well at least the lawyers got their 30%.

    Like most things today in our legal system. Only the innocent need to fear.
    With the Corporations, Criminals, Judges and Lawyers enriching themselves from the system.
  • Will Google keep it? Will the lawyers get it? Donated? Shared among the other class members?

  • What we really need is a fairly simple federal law:

    IF you collect economically sensitive info (defined as stuff that could be used for identity theft)
    AND you let it leak
    YOU owe a fine per datum leaked

    No rake-off for class-action lawyers, no delay while lawsuits meander through the courts.

    If the fine was big enough, and a few companies went out of business as a result of having to pay it, maybe companies would collect less data, and be more careful with the data they do collect.

  • Just shows that the class action system is self-serving for lawyers.

  • We're dammed if we claim this pittance and dammed if we don't. I got this email and the average payment is about 5 bucks. It states that if I choose to collect I wave my rights, and if I choose not to collect, I wave my rights.

    • If you collect, you've accepted their offer. You cannot sue them. If you choose not to collect, you should be able to sue on your own. But you don't get to use the class-action's work to sue with.

  • I'd rather see a class action lawsuit against Google for subjecting us all to Google+ in the first place. I still remember when they tried to cram it down my throat if i wanted to do anything on Youtube. And the incessant "if you sign up for Google+ we'll bother you so much less" notices. Please, some enterprising lawyer, make them pay for that travesty.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • They should just be done away with. The people that deserve the payout get nothing while lawyers get everything.

    There is no use to being in a class action. You're far better off just suing them yourself.

  • Class Action maybe good in some way, I typically hate them because it's mainly Lawyers getting most the money. It's all about the Lawyers.

  • Reminds me of the cellular one class action suit. They were rounding time up to the nearest minute. Use 1:01, that's 2 minutes.

    I'm part of this class action! To take advantage to go this site ________________
    Went to the site. I couldn't use the money towards anything that was owed. I could use it on future good and services, with conditions. I think that was one about the same amount.

    I was no longer their customer. Didn't want to be their customer. If you tried to leave they wanted to charge you $600. Even

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

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