[$2 Payout] Google+ Class Action Lawsuit: Get Up To $12 For Those Affected

Update 8/5/21: Reader AllenW got $2.15 payout today.

Google+ Class Settlement

Google+ Class Lawsuit Link

Google operated the Google+ social media platform for consumers from June 2011 to April 2019. In 2018, Google announced that the Google+ platform had experienced software bugs between 2015 and 2018, which allowed app developers to access certain Google+ profile field information in an unintended manner.

Google denies Plaintiffs’ allegations, denies any wrongdoing and any liability whatsoever, and believes that no Class Members, including the Plaintiffs, have sustained any damages or injuries due to the software bugs.

Submit a Claim Here

Who Is Eligible?

The following are eligible: All persons within the United States who (a) had a consumer Google+ account for any period of time between January 1, 2015 and April 2, 2019, and (2) had their non-public Profile Information exposed as a result of the software bugs Google announced on October 8, 2018 and December 10, 2018.

Excluded from the Settlement Class are (a) Google and its officers, directors, employees, subsidiaries, and Google Affiliates; (b) all judges and their staffs assigned to this case and any members of their immediate families; (c) the Parties’ counsel in this litigation; and (d) any Excluded Class Member.”

You must be able confirm all of following in order to be eligible to receive a settlement payment:

• I was a user of the consumer Google+ service while a resident of the United States at some point during the period from January 1, 2015 to April 2, 2019;
• I entered private (meaning non-public) information in at least one of my Google+ profile fields that was not set to be shared publicly
• Either I shared that information with another Google+ user through the Google+ service or I authorized an app to access my Google+ profile field information.

How Much?

The Net Settlement Fund shall be allocated to Claimants on a pro rata basis up to an initial maximum distribution of $5 per Claimant. If there are insufficient funds to pay claimants $5 based on the number of claimants, the payment to each claimant will be reduced pro ratably.

If sufficient funds remain after calculation of the aggregate initial maximum distribution of $5 per Claimant, the allocation shall be recalculated on a pro rata basis up to a maximum distribution of up to $12 per Claimant. For clarity, the maximum Settlement Payment to be made to any single Claimant shall not exceed $12.

Important Dates

• January 1, 2015 through April 2, 2019 – time period during which there were software bugs
• June 10, 2020 – preliminary approval for this class settlement
• October 8, 2020 – final date to make a claim
• November 19, 2020 at 9 a.m. — Final Fairness Hearing

Final Thoughts

Seems like an easy way to get a few dollars. I got an email from Google about this class lawsuit, but I never entered/shared private information in Google+ which makes me ineligible – see eligibility requirements above.  No information is given about how to know you were affected by the breach.