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How to claim your share of Google's $23 million privacy settlement
Google users can now apply for their share of a $23 million privacy lawsuit settlement.
Anyone who thinks they clicked on any Google search result link between October 2006 and September 2013 is eligible to receive a payment, however small.
Google agreed to the settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit accusing the company of "storing and intentionally, systematically and repeatedly divulging" users' search queries and histories to third-party websites and companies.
To claim their share, users should submit a claim online by July 31. Applicants are required to provide their name, address, email and payment information.
According to the site, the estimated individual payout is $7.70, but that could change based on the number of people who submit claims.
A final hearing to approve the settlement is set for Oct. 12, according to the claim administrator website. It is not clear when payments will be distributed.
Google, which denies any wrongdoing, is also required to revise its "FAQs" and "Key Terms" sections regarding how and when search queries are disclosed to third parties.
Technology giants have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years over privacy concerns.
Meta, which owns Facebook, recently agreed to pay $725 million to resolve a class action privacy lawsuit alleging it allowed Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm linked to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, to access millions of users' personal information.
The deadline to apply for a share of that settlement is Aug. 25.
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