October 8, 2020 is the final day that individuals impacted in a law suit against Google can raise objections. Google notified former Google+ users in August about the $7.5M class action lawsuit. This means that anyone who participates in the lawsuit could expect a check of at least $5. However, if anyone affected by the Google+ data leak wants to enter a formal objection, file a claim, or otherwise opt of the settlement then they only have a few more weeks.
Google+ Shutdown
In October, 2018 Google+ shut down after a bug leaked users’ personal information. An internal committee at Google chose to not disclose the issue as soon as possible. The Google+ API exposed over 50 million profiles that should have been private. Plaintiffs brought the case forward, but Google admitted no wrong doing. They claim that the plaintiffs suffered no damages due to the bug.
Who Gets the Money
Possibly due to that stance of innocence, the court ruled that Google should only pay $7.5 million to affected individuals. However, class law suit members can get up to $12 depending on how many people participate in the law suit. The largest portion of the lawsuit will likely go to the attorneys whose fees cannot exceed 25% of the 7.5 million.
Summary
Over 50 million users’ privacy was potentially violated, but Google admits no wrong and most of the fines will go to lawyers. If you want more information, check out Bleeping Computer’s write up. It has additional details about the lawsuit.
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