Flo Health Settles Ad Tracking Lawsuit for $8M, Google $48M
A closely watched lawsuit involving ad tracking software has reached a significant settlement. Flo Health has agreed to pay $8 million, following Google's earlier settlement of $48 million. The case, filed by Erica Frasko in 2021, alleged unauthorized data interception by Google, Meta, and Flurry via software development kits.
The litigation has drawn attention from privacy advocates and the tech industry due to its implications on ad tracking software legality. Google previously agreed to settle the case in July, with details revealed this week. The companies affected include Google and SHEIN, both of which have faced substantial fines in the past for unauthorized data collection and cookie violations. Notably, Google has paid fines totaling over 500 million euros in France alone, while SHEIN was fined 150 million euros in 2023. A California federal judge recently struck down Meta's bid to overturn the verdict in the Flo trial.
Both Flo and Google denied the allegations despite the settlement agreement. However, a jury found co-defendant Meta liable for violating privacy laws by collecting Flo app user data without consent. Google has agreed to set up a $48 million fund for Flo app users who entered sensitive information between November 2016 and February 2019. Flurry agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle the claims in March.
The settlements in the Flo Health lawsuit mark a significant step in addressing concerns over unauthorized data collection and privacy violations by tech companies. The substantial fines and fund provisions reflect the seriousness of these issues and the need for stricter enforcement of privacy laws.
