Google

=== Anti-trust, privacy, and other litigation ===
{{Main|Google litigation}}
[[File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Schuman - Berlaymont - 01.jpg|thumb|The European Commission, which imposed three fines on Google in 2017, 2018, and 2019]]

====Fines and lawsuits====

===== European Union =====
On June 27, 2017, the company received a record fine of {{€|2.42 billion|link=yes}} from the [[European Union]] for "promoting its own shopping comparison service at the top of search results."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelion |first=Leo |date=June 27, 2017 |title=Google hit with record EU fine over Shopping service |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40406542 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627100311/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40406542 |archive-date=June 27, 2017 |access-date=June 29, 2017 |publisher=BBC }}</ref>

On July 18, 2018,<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2018 |title=Antitrust: Commission fines Google €4.34 billion for illegal practices regarding Android mobile devices to strengthen dominance of Google's search engine |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-4581_en.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180718112553/http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-4581_en.htm |archive-date=July 18, 2018 |website=European Commission |location=Bruxelles}}</ref> the [[European Commissioner for Competition|European Commission]] fined Google €4.34 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. The abuse of dominants position has been referred to as Google's constraint applied to Android device manufacturers and network operators to ensure that traffic on Android devices goes to the Google search engine. On October 9, 2018, Google confirmed<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 10, 2018 |title=Google appeals $5 billion EU fine in Android antitrust case |url=https://apnews.com/f9797e4935c1464f8f6010793ded7c1d |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010101238/https://apnews.com/f9797e4935c1464f8f6010793ded7c1d |archive-date=October 10, 2018 |website=[[APNews.com]] |location=Bruxelles |language=en}}</ref> that it had appealed the fine to the [[General Court (European Union)|General Court of the European Union]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foo Yun Chee |date=May 13, 2014 |title=Google challenges record $5 billion EU antitrust fine |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-alphabet-inc-antitrust/google-challenges-record-5-billion-eu-antitrust-fine-idUSKCN1MJ2CA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222061539/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-google-dataprotection/european-court-says-google-must-respect-right-to-be-forgotten-idUSBREA4C07120140513 |archive-date=December 22, 2018}}</ref>

On October 8, 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against Google and Alphabet due to "non-public" [[Google+]] account data being exposed as a result of a bug that allowed app developers to gain access to the private information of users. The litigation was settled in July 2020 for $7.5 million with a payout to claimants of at least $5 each, with a maximum of $12 each.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Murdock |first=Jason |date=August 5, 2020 |title=Google+ Settlement: How to Submit a Claim over Privacy Bug and Get a Payout |work=[[Newsweek]] |url=https://www.newsweek.com/google-plus-privacy-bug-settlement-claim-money-1522967 |access-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806080428/https://www.newsweek.com/google-plus-privacy-bug-settlement-claim-money-1522967 |archive-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Graham |first=Jefferson |date=August 4, 2020 |title=Did you use Google+? You may be owed some money from class-action privacy settlement |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/08/04/google-privacy-settlement-how-much-money-how-to-get/3290508001/ |access-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806014134/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/08/04/google-privacy-settlement-how-much-money-how-to-get/3290508001/ |archive-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 22, 2020 |title=In re Google Plus Profile Litigation District Court ND of California |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7999009/in-re-google-plus-profile-litigation/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806003928/https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7999009/in-re-google-plus-profile-litigation/ |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |access-date=August 5, 2020 |website=courtlistener.com |publisher=[[Free Law Project]]}}</ref>

On March 20, 2019, the European Commission imposed a €1.49 billion ($1.69 billion) fine on Google for preventing rivals from being able to "compete and innovate fairly" in the online advertising market. European Union competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said Google had violated EU antitrust rules by "imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites" that required them to exclude search results from Google's rivals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid |first=David |date=March 20, 2019 |title=EU regulators hit Google with $1.7 billion fine for blocking ad rivals |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/eu-vestager-hits-google-with-fine-for.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320155204/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/20/eu-vestager-hits-google-with-fine-for.html |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |access-date=March 20, 2019 |website=[[CNBC]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 20, 2019 |title=Europe hits Google with a third, $1.7 billion antitrust fine |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/tech/google-eu-antitrust/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320133734/https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/20/tech/google-eu-antitrust/index.html |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |access-date=March 21, 2019 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

On September 14, 2022, Google lost the appeal of a €4.125 billion (£3.5 billion) fine, which was ruled to be paid after it was proved by the European Commission that Google forced Android phone-makers to carry Google's search and web browser apps. Since the initial accusations, Google has changed its policy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-62888137 | title=Google loses appeal over record EU anti-trust Android fine | date=September 14, 2022 | publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=September 14, 2022 }}</ref>

===== France =====
On January 21, 2019, French data regulator [[CNIL]] imposed a record €50 million fine on Google for breaching the European Union's [[General Data Protection Regulation]]. The judgment claimed Google had failed to sufficiently inform users of its methods for collecting data to personalize advertising. Google issued a statement saying it was "deeply committed" to transparency and was "studying the decision" before determining its response.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Chris |date=January 21, 2019 |title=Google hit with £44m GDPR fine |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46944696 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121231240/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46944696 |archive-date=January 21, 2019 |access-date=January 22, 2019 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

On January 6, 2022, France's data privacy regulatory body [[CNIL]] fined Alphabet's Google 150 million euros (US$169 million) for not allowing its Internet users an easy refusal of [[HTTP cookie|Cookies]] along with [[Facebook]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rosemain |first=Mathieu |date=January 6, 2022 |title=Google hit with 150 mln euro French fine for cookie breaches |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-imposes-fines-facebook-ireland-google-2022-01-06/ |access-date=January 6, 2022}}</ref>

On March 20, 2024, Google was fined approximately $270 million by French regulators for using content from news outlets in France without proper disclosure to train its AI, [[Gemini (chatbot)|Bard]], now renamed [[Gemini (chatbot)|Gemini]], violating a previous commitment to negotiate content use transparently and fairly.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Squire |first=Paul |title=Google just got hit with a hefty fine, in part over how it trained its AI |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/google-fined-270-million-trained-ai-news-outlets-france-2024-3 |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

===== United States =====
After U.S. Congressional hearings in July 2020,<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 30, 2020 |title=Tech bosses grilled over claims of 'harmful' power |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53583941 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730020044/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53583941 |archive-date=July 30, 2020}}</ref> and a report from the U.S. House of Representatives' Antitrust Subcommittee released in early October,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bond |first1=Shannon |last2=Selyukh |first2=Alina |last3=Allyn |first3=Bobby |date=October 6, 2020 |title=How Are Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google Monopolies? House Report Counts The Ways |work=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920882893/how-are-apple-amazon-facebook-google-monopolies-house-report-counts-the-ways}}</ref> the [[United States Department of Justice]] filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google on October 20, 2020, asserting that it has illegally maintained its monopoly position in web search and search advertising.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=McCabe |first1=David |last2=Kang |first2=Cecilia |date=October 20, 2020 |title=U.S. Accuses Google of Illegally Protecting Monopoly |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/technology/google-antitrust.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020123008/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/20/technology/google-antitrust.html |archive-date=October 20, 2020 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=October 20, 2020 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Allyn |first=Bobby |title=DOC |url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7273448-DOC.html |website=www.documentcloud.org}}</ref> The lawsuit alleged that Google engaged in anticompetitive behavior by paying Apple between $8 billion and $12 billion to be the default search engine on iPhones.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ngo |first=Keach Hagey and Vivien |date=November 7, 2019 |title=How Google Edged Out Rivals and Built the World's Dominant Ad Machine: A Visual Guide |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-google-edged-out-rivals-and-built-the-worlds-dominant-ad-machine-a-visual-guide-11573142071 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Later that month, both [[Facebook]] and Alphabet agreed to "cooperate and assist one another" in the face of investigation into their online advertising practices.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McKinnon |first=Ryan Tracy and John D. |date=December 22, 2020 |title=WSJ News Exclusive {{!}} Google, Facebook Agreed to Team Up Against Possible Antitrust Action, Draft Lawsuit Says |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-facebook-agreed-to-team-up-against-possible-antitrust-action-draft-lawsuit-says-11608612219 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tracy |first=John D. McKinnon and Ryan |date=December 16, 2020 |title=Ten States Sue Google, Alleging Deal With Facebook to Rig Online Ad Market |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/states-sue-google-over-digital-ad-practices-11608146817 |access-date=December 25, 2020 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> [[United States v. Google LLC (2023)|Another suit was brought against Google in 2023]] for illegally monopolizing the advertising technology market.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2023 |title=Justice Department Sues Google for Monopolizing Digital Advertising Technologies |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-google-monopolizing-digital-advertising-technologies |access-date=March 31, 2023 |website=[[United States Department of Justice]] |language=en}}</ref>

==== Private browsing lawsuit ====
{{See also|Private browsing}}
In early June 2020, a $5 billion class-action lawsuit was filed against Google by a group of consumers, alleging that [[Google Chrome|Chrome]]'s Incognito browsing mode still collects their user history.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 13, 2021 |title=$5 billion class-action lawsuit against Google |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/13/22329240/judge-rules-google-5-billion-lawsuit-tracking-chrome-incognito-privacy |access-date=October 4, 2021 |publisher=[[The Verge]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 15, 2021 |title=$5 billion class-action lawsuit against Google |url=https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-to-face-5b-lawsuit-over-tracking-users-in-incognito-mode/399113/#close |access-date=October 4, 2021 |website=SearchEngineJournal}}</ref> The lawsuit became known in March 2021 when a federal judge denied Google's request to dismiss the case, ruling that they must face the group's charges.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 13, 2021 |title=$5 billion class-action lawsuit |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-13/google-must-face-suit-over-snooping-on-incognito-browsing |access-date=October 4, 2021 |publisher=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 15, 2021 |title=Google gets sued |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/03/judge-rules-5-billion-google-chrome-incognito-mode-lawsuit-can-go-forward/ |access-date=October 4, 2021 |publisher=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref> [[Reuters]] reported that the lawsuit alleged that Google's CEO [[Sundar Pichai]] sought to keep the users unaware of this issue.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 24, 2021 |title=$5 billion class-action lawsuit against Google |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ceo-sought-keep-incognito-mode-issues-out-spotlight-lawsuit-alleges-2021-09-24/ |access-date=October 4, 2021 |publisher=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

In April 2024, it was announced that Google agreed to settle this lawsuit.  Under the terms of the settlement Google agreed to destroy billions of data records to settle a lawsuit claiming it secretly tracked the internet use of people who thought they were browsing privately.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Liedtke |first=Michael |date=April 1, 2024 |title=Google to purge billions of files containing personal data in settlement of Chrome privacy case |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/google-to-purge-billions-of-files-containing-personal-data-in-settlement-of-chrome-privacy-case/ar-BB1kTLBe |url-status=live |access-date=April 3, 2024 |work=Associated Press}}</ref>

==== Gender discrimination lawsuit ====
In 2017, three women sued Google, accusing the company of violating California's Equal Pay Act by underpaying its female employees. The lawsuit cited the wage gap was around $17,000 and that Google locked women into lower career tracks, leading to smaller salaries and bonuses. In June 2022, Google agreed to pay a $118 million settlement to 15,550 female employees working in California since 2013. As a part of the settlement, Google also agreed to hire a third party to analyze its hiring and compensation practices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=June 12, 2022 |title=Google to pay $118 million to settle gender discrimination lawsuit |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/12/23164678/google-pay-118-million-settle-gender-discrimination-lawsuit |access-date=June 14, 2022 |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Complex |first=Valerie |date=June 12, 2022 |title=Google Agrees to Pay Out $118 Million To Former Employees In Gender Discrimination And Pay Equity Suit |url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/google-agrees-to-pay-out-118-million-to-former-1235043474/ |access-date=June 14, 2022 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Grant |first=Nico |date=June 13, 2022 |title=Google Agrees to Pay $118 Million to Settle Pay Discrimination Case |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/12/business/google-discrimination-settlement-women.html |access-date=June 14, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

====U.S. government contracts====

Following media reports about [[PRISM (surveillance program)|PRISM]], the [[National Security Agency|NSA]]'s massive electronic [[Mass surveillance|surveillance program]], in June 2013, several technology companies were identified as participants, including Google.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 17, 2014 |title=Edward Snowden: Leaks that exposed US spy programme |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23123964 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320171345/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23123964 |archive-date=March 20, 2017 |access-date=March 25, 2017 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> According to unnamed sources, Google joined the PRISM program in 2009, as [[YouTube]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Greenwald |first1=Glenn |last2=MacAskill |first2=Ewen |date=June 7, 2013 |title=NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060818114650/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data |archive-date=August 18, 2006 |access-date=April 17, 2021 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

Google has worked with the [[United States Department of Defense]] on drone software through the 2017 [[Project Maven]] that could be used to improve the accuracy of [[drone strike]]s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Amadeo |first=Ron |date=April 4, 2018 |title=Google employees revolt, say company should shut down military drone project |work=Ars Technica |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/google-should-not-be-in-the-business-of-war-googlers-decry-pentagon-project/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202043739/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/google-should-not-be-in-the-business-of-war-googlers-decry-pentagon-project/ |archive-date=February 2, 2021}}</ref> In April 2018, thousands of Google employees, including senior engineers, signed a letter urging Google CEO [[Sundar Pichai]] to end this controversial contract with the Pentagon.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chapman |first=Ben |date=April 3, 2018 |title=Google staff protest company's involvement with Pentagon drones programme |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/google-protest-pentagon-drones-programme-company-sundar-pichai-department-defense-a8290111.html |url-status=live |access-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214235047/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/google-protest-pentagon-drones-programme-company-sundar-pichai-department-defense-a8290111.html |archive-date=February 14, 2021}}</ref> Google ultimately decided not to renew this [[United States Department of Defense|DoD]] contract, which was set to expire in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Wakabayashi |first1=Daisuke |last2=Shane |first2=Scott |date=June 1, 2018 |title=Google Will Not Renew Pentagon Contract That Upset Employees |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/technology/google-pentagon-project-maven.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016004020/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/technology/google-pentagon-project-maven.html |archive-date=October 16, 2018 |access-date=October 16, 2018 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>