Google reaches $392m settlement with 40 US states over privacy charges

In brief

Google has reached a $391.5m settlement with a 40-state coalition of attorneys general over charges that the company was continuing to obtain users’ location data despite telling them their location tracking had been turned off.

Last month, Google separately settled similar charges brought by Arizona for $85m; it also faces other lawsuits related to location tracking from Indiana, Texas, and Washington DC.

In addition to the record-setting settlement figure, Google will clarify its location tracking disclosures to users beginning next year.