Some good news for Google on the rejection of a class action status in a privacy lawsuit. In case you haven’t noticed there are thousands of privacy lawsuits being filed every year and the numbers are only increasing. Last week U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, ruled against allowing a class action lawsuit against Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., to proceed as a collective case. The lawsuit alleged that Google illegally collected personal data from Chrome browser users who opted not to sync their browsers with their Google accounts. This decision marks a significant development in ongoing scrutiny of Google’s data privacy practices.
Case Background
The plaintiffs claimed Google violated user privacy by gathering personal information despite users’ explicit choice to disable Chrome browser synchronization. They sought to unify millions of affected Chrome users into a single class action to pursue damages and policy changes, arguing that Google’s data collection practices were deceptive and unauthorized.
Judge Rogers, however, sided with Google’s argument that determining whether users understood and consented to the company’s data collection policies requires individual assessments. She concluded that Google’s defense of implied consent would dominate the case, making a class action approach unsuitable. The ruling dismissed the proposed damages class action with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled as a group lawsuit, though individual claims may still proceed.
Implications of the Ruling
This decision highlights the challenges of pursuing class action lawsuits against tech giants over privacy issues. By requiring case-by-case evaluations, the court has effectively raised the bar for plaintiffs seeking collective recourse. The ruling also underscores the importance of clear user consent in data collection practices, a recurring issue in privacy litigation.
Google’s victory in this case does not absolve it of scrutiny. The company faces other privacy-related lawsuits, including a January 2025 case where it failed to dismiss claims about collecting cellphone data despite disabled tracking settings. That case, which may head to trial in August 2025, suggests ongoing legal battles over Google’s data practices.
Broader Context
The rejection of the class action aligns with a pattern of judicial caution in certifying large-scale privacy lawsuits. For instance, a January 2025 ruling against Meta Platforms similarly denied class action status for Facebook users alleging deceptive privacy safeguards. These decisions reflect courts’ preference for individualized evidence in complex privacy disputes, potentially limiting the scope of future class actions against tech companies.
What’s Next?
While the class action was dismissed, individual plaintiffs may still pursue their claims, though this approach is often costlier and less practical. Businesses and consumers alike should watch for further developments in Google’s privacy litigation, as these cases could influence how tech companies disclose and manage user data. For now, Google avoids a broad legal challenge, but the spotlight on its data practices remains.
