Claim Your Share of This Google Global Lawsuit

Google’s parent company Alphabet is worth $1.6 trillion . Thanks to a recently settled class action lawsuit, you can keep a small chunk of Google’s money for yourself. Of course, not in vain: Google allegedly abused your data and privacy, and you are entitled to compensation.

Google’s Latest Class Action Agreement

According to Top Class Actions , Google recently settled the case for $23 million. The case alleged that the search engine giant violated users’ privacy by sharing customer data with third parties without those users’ consent. Specifically, the company allegedly included your search terms in a query link that is triggered whenever you click on a URL in a Google search, revealing those search terms on the sites you visit. This information is contained in what is known as the “referrer header”, which is why it is called referrer header settlement.

You are most likely eligible for a settlement. If you are a Google Search user and you clicked on at least one search result between October 26, 2006 and September 30, 2013, you are eligible for compensation. By the laws of the Internet age, this probably applies to almost everyone who reads this article. If you tell me you don’t qualify, I won’t believe you, so unless you’re somehow a die-hard Yahoo person, you have a small amount of money.

Of course, you should know that you are not entitled to much . While Google has agreed to pay $23 million in damages, the agreement suggests that many people are entitled to damages. In fact, the current estimated payout is $7.70. The total payout will depend on the number of people who actually applied for the settlement, so if it’s less than expected, the payout may increase. However, if more people sign up, it could be less.

How to apply for a Google settlement

If you have not been contacted about this settlement, you must register with the Kroll Village Administration. You will find this form at this link , where you will provide details such as your name, address and email address. You probably won’t get a response right away, but when you do, you will have a class member id. Use this number when applying here .

Because this is a legal situation, you should only file a claim if you actually clicked on a Google search result for almost seven years. While the firm has no questions about your use of Google, you submit them under penalty of perjury. So if you’ve been using Yahoo on the web since 2006, you shouldn’t apply.

Please also note that by filing a lawsuit, you waive your right to sue Google for this privacy breach in the future. If you don’t have plans to sue Google, you’re probably safe here, but hey, who knows. Maybe it’s more worth keeping in your back pocket than the estimated $7.70.