Editing Google (section)

== Criticism and controversies ==
{{Further|Criticism of Google|Censorship by Google|Privacy concerns regarding Google}}{{summarize|from|Criticism of Google|better=y|section=y|date=April 2019}}

[[File:Google bus protest.jpg|thumb|San Francisco activists [[San Francisco tech bus protests|protest privately owned shuttle buses]] that transport workers for tech companies such as Google from their homes in San Francisco and Oakland to corporate campuses in Silicon Valley.]]

Google has had criticism over issues such as [[Google tax avoidance|aggressive tax avoidance]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Drucker |first=Jesse |date=October 21, 2010 |title=Google 2.4% Rate Shows How $60 Billion Is Lost to Tax Loopholes |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-10-21/google-2-4-rate-shows-how-60-billion-u-s-revenue-lost-to-tax-loopholes |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922035532/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-10-21/google-2-4-rate-shows-how-60-billion-u-s-revenue-lost-to-tax-loopholes |archive-date=September 22, 2016}}</ref> [[Criticism of Google#Danger of ranking manipulation|search neutrality]], [[Criticism of Google#Copyright issues|copyright]], [[Censorship by Google|censorship]] of search results and content,<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 20, 2018 |title=The Case Against Google |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/magazine/the-case-against-google.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180319192049/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/magazine/the-case-against-google.html |archive-date=March 19, 2018 |access-date=March 21, 2018 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> and [[Google privacy|privacy]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 2007 |title=Google ranked 'worst' on privacy |work=[[BBC News]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6740075.stm |url-status=live |access-date=April 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027120902/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6740075.stm |archive-date=October 27, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosen |first=Jeffrey |date=November 28, 2008 |title=Google's Gatekeepers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/magazine/30google-t.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228140546/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/magazine/30google-t.html |archive-date=February 28, 2017 |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

Other criticisms are alleged misuse and manipulation of search results, its use of other people's [[intellectual property]], concerns that its [[Data collection|compilation of data]] may violate people's [[Internet privacy|privacy]], and the [[energy consumption]] of its servers, as well as concerns over traditional business issues such as [[monopoly]], [[restraint of trade]], [[anti-competitive practices]], and [[patent infringement]].

=== 2018 ===
In July 2018, [[Mozilla]] program manager Chris Peterson accused Google of intentionally slowing down YouTube performance on [[Firefox]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kan |first=Michael |date=July 25, 2018 |title=Mozilla Developer Claims Google Is Slowing YouTube on Firefox |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/mozilla-developer-claims-google-is-slowing-youtube-on-firefox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813134744/https://www.pcmag.com/news/362696/mozilla-developer-claims-google-is-slowing-youtube-on-firefo |archive-date=August 13, 2019 |website=[[PCMag]]}}</ref><ref name="firefox">{{Cite web |last=Cimpanu |first=Catalin |title=Former Mozilla exec: Google has sabotaged Firefox for years |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/former-mozilla-exec-google-has-sabotaged-firefox-for-years/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819235446/https://www.zdnet.com/article/former-mozilla-exec-google-has-sabotaged-firefox-for-years/ |archive-date=August 19, 2019 |access-date=August 13, 2019 |website=ZDNet |language=en}}</ref>

According to Ryan Gallagher of [[The Intercept]] in August 2018, Google was developing for the People's Republic of China a censored version of its search engine (known as [[Dragonfly (search engine)|Dragonfly]]) "that will blacklist websites and search terms about human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protest".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gallagher |first=Ryan |date=August 1, 2018 |title=Google Plans to Launch Censored Search Engine in China, Leaked Documents Reveal |work=The Intercept |url=https://theintercept.com/2018/08/01/google-china-search-engine-censorship/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801120009/https://theintercept.com/2018/08/01/google-china-search-engine-censorship/ |archive-date=August 1, 2018}}</ref> Google was grilled at a [[United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation|Senate committee]] hearing on the project one month later.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Disis |first=Jill |date=September 26, 2018 |title=Google grilled over 'Project Dragonfly' at Senate hearing on data privacy |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/26/technology/google-dragonfly-senate-hearing/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926222719/https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/26/technology/google-dragonfly-senate-hearing/index.html |archive-date=September 26, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Ryan |date=September 26, 2018 |title=Former Google Scientist Tells Senate to Act Over Company's "Unethical and Unaccountable" China Censorship Plan |url=https://theintercept.com/2018/09/26/former-google-scientist-tells-senate-to-act-over-companys-unethical-and-unaccountable-china-censorship-plan/ |access-date=December 9, 2024 |website=The Intercept |language=en-US}}</ref> The project was canceled in December following the backlash it garnered both externally and internally within the company.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Ryan |date=December 17, 2018 |title=Google's Secret China Project "Effectively Ended" After Internal Confrontation |url=https://theintercept.com/2018/12/17/google-china-censored-search-engine-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321020856/https://theintercept.com/2018/12/17/google-china-censored-search-engine-2/ |archive-date=March 21, 2019 |access-date=December 17, 2018 |website=The Intercept |language=en-US |quote=Leaks about the plan and the extraordinary backlash that ensued both internally and externally appear to have forced company executives to shelve it at least in the short term, two sources familiar with the project said.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 17, 2019 |title=Google's Project Dragonfly 'terminated' in China |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49015516 |access-date=June 18, 2022 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== 2019 ===
In 2019, a hub for critics of Google dedicated to abstaining from using Google products coalesced in the [[Reddit]] online [[subreddit|community]] /r/degoogle.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 23, 2019 |title=Thousands of Reddit users are trying to delete Google from their lives, but they're finding it impossible because Google is everywhere |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/profile-reddit-de-google-community-2019-3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325123426/https://www.businessinsider.com/profile-reddit-de-google-community-2019-3/ |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |access-date=April 24, 2019 |website=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref> The [[DeGoogle]] [[grassroots campaign]] continues to grow as privacy activists highlight information about Google products, and the associated incursion on personal privacy rights by the company.

In April 2019, former Mozilla executive Jonathan Nightingale accused Google of intentionally and systematically sabotaging the Firefox browser over the past decade in order to boost adoption of Google Chrome.<ref name="firefox" />

In November 2019, the Office for Civil Rights of the United States [[Department of Health and Human Services]] began investigation into [[Project Nightingale]], to assess whether the "mass collection of individuals' medical records" complied with [[Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act|HIPAA]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Copeland |first=Rob |date=November 12, 2019 |title=Google's 'Project Nightingale' Triggers Federal Inquiry |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-googles-project-nightingale-a-health-data-gold-mine-of-50-million-patients-11573571867 |access-date=November 18, 2019}}</ref> According to ''The Wall Street Journal'', Google secretively began the project in 2018, with [[St. Louis]]-based [[healthcare]] company [[Ascension (company)|Ascension]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Copeland |first=Rob |date=November 11, 2019 |title=Google's 'Project Nightingale' Gathers Personal Health Data on Millions of Americans |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-s-secret-project-nightingale-gathers-personal-health-data-on-millions-of-americans-11573496790 |access-date=November 17, 2019}}</ref>

=== 2022 ===
In a 2022 [[National Labor Relations Board]] ruling, court documents suggested that Google sponsored a secretive project—''Project Vivian''—to counsel its employees and to discourage them from forming unions.<ref name="unions" />

Google reportedly paid Apple $22 billion in 2022 to maintain its position as the default search engine on Safari. This deal underscores the intense competition in the tech industry for dominance in the search market. It marks one of the largest payments between two tech giants in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 6, 2024 |title=Google's $22 Billion Payment to Apple for Safari Default Search Engine (2022) |url=https://news.abplive.com/technology/google-paid-apple-22-billion-safari-default-search-engine-2022-1684636 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |website=ABPLIVE |language=en}}</ref>

=== 2023 ===
On May 1, 2023, Google placed an ad against anti-[[disinformation]] [[Brazilian Congressional Bill No. 2630]], which was about to be approved, on its search homepage in Brazil, calling on its users to ask congressional representatives to oppose the legislation. The country's government and judiciary accused the company of undue interference in the congressional debate, saying it could amount to abuse of economic power and ordering the company to change the ad within two hours of notification or face fines of {{BRLConvert|1|m|year=2023|force=yes}} per non-compliance hour. The company then promptly removed the ad.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brazil receives pushback from tech companies on 'fake news' bill |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/03/alphabet-google-fake-news-law |access-date=May 10, 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=May 3, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Brazil's 'fake news' bill sparks outcry from tech giants |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/2/brazil-fake-news-bill-sparks-outcry-from-tech-giants |access-date=May 11, 2023 |work=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|date=May 2, 2023}}</ref>

=== 2024 ===
In March 2024, a former Google [[Software engineering|software engineer]] and [[China|Chinese]] national, Linwei Ding, was accused of stealing confidential artificial intelligence information from the company and handing it to Chinese corporations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 6, 2024 |title=Ex-Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets while working with Chinese companies |url=https://apnews.com/article/china-google-justice-department-63156ade1e564d15d92adbef91e9c5da |access-date=May 5, 2024 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Ding had allegedly stolen over 500 files from the company over the course of 5 years, having been hired in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lucas |first=Ryan |date=March 6, 2024 |title=Chinese national arrested and charged with stealing AI trade secrets from Google |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/03/06/1236380984/china-google-fbi-ai |website=npr.org}}</ref> Upon discovering Ding had been in contact with Chinese state-owned companies, Google notified the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]], who carried on the investigation.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Vlamis |first1=Kelsey |last2=Barr |first2=Alistair |title=A Google engineer ran a secret startup in China while stealing AI technology, DOJ alleges |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/google-engineer-ran-secret-startup-china-stealing-ai-tech-doj-2024-3 |access-date=May 5, 2024 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>

In May 2024, a misconfiguration in Google Cloud led to the accidental deletion of [[UniSuper]]'s $135 billion Australian pension fund account, affecting over half a million members who were unable to access their accounts for a week. The outage, attributed to a cloud service error and not a cyberattack, prompted a joint apology from UniSuper and Google Cloud executives, who assured members that no personal data was compromised and restoration efforts were underway.<ref>{{Cite news |author1=Ted Litchfield |date=May 18, 2024 |title=Always keep backups: an 'unprecedented' Google Cloud debacle saw a $135 billion pension fund's entire account deleted and services knocked out for nearly two weeks |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/always-keep-backups-an-unprecedented-google-cloud-debacle-saw-a-dollar135-billion-pension-funds-entire-account-deleted-and-services-knocked-out-for-nearly-two-weeks/ |access-date=May 21, 2024 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2024, Google sent an email to users informing them of its legal obligation to disclose certain confidential information to U.S. government authorities. The company stated that when it receives valid requests from government agencies to produce documents without redacting confidential customer information, it may produce such documents even if they are confidential to users. However, it will request confidential treatment of such information from the government.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2024 |title=Google says it is obligated to disclose confidential information of users to U.S. government - TargetTrend |work=TargetTrend |url=https://targettrend.com/google-says-it-is-obligated-to-disclose-confidential-information-of-users-to-u-s-government/ |access-date=August 7, 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In September 2024, [[Competition and Markets Authority]] (CMA) provisionally found that Google engaged in anti-competitive practices in the online advertising technology market, potentially harming thousands of UK publishers and advertisers. The investigation claimed Google used its market power to prevent rivals from competing fairly, affecting billions spent on digital ads. Google rejected the findings as flawed, stating its ad tech benefits businesses. If found guilty, Google could face penalties of up to 10% of its global turnover. Similar investigations are ongoing in the U.S. and EU, where regulators have suggested that Google may need to sell part of its ad-tech business.<ref>{{cite news|last=Vallance |first=Chris |title=Google abusing ad tech dominance, UK competition watchdog finds |date=September 6, 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80en9nvlp9o |website=BBC News |access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref>

=== 2025 ===
In January 2025, U.S. federal judge [[Richard Seeborg]] rejected Google's motion to dismiss a [[Class action|class-action]] lawsuit. The lawsuit claims Google collected data from users who had specifically opted out of tracking. The trial is scheduled for August 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brodkin |first=Jon |date=January 9, 2025 |title=Google loses in court, faces trial for collecting data on users who opted out |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/google-loses-in-court-faces-trial-for-collecting-data-on-users-who-opted-out/ |access-date=April 4, 2025 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-US}}</ref>

It was ruled that US Department of Justice alongside 17 other states that Google operates a monopoly in online advertising technology. The case will now move to a remedies stage which may lead to Alphabet, the owner of Google, being broken up.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 17, 2025 |title=Google has illegal advertising monopoly, judge rules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3674nl7g74o |access-date=April 17, 2025 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Palestine ===

Google is also part of [[Project Nimbus]], a $1.2 billion deal in which the technology companies Google and [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] will provide [[Israel]] and [[Israel Defense Forces|its military]] with artificial intelligence, [[machine learning]], and other cloud computing services, including building local [[Server farm|cloud sites]] that will "keep information within Israel's borders under strict security guidelines."<ref name="Grant2022">{{Cite news |last=Grant |first=Nico |date=August 30, 2022 |title=Google Employee Who Played Key Role in Protest of Contract With Israel Quits |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/technology/google-employee-israel.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 30, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Biddle2022">{{Cite web |date=July 24, 2022 |first=Sam |last=Biddle |title=Documents Reveal Advanced AI Tools Google Is Selling to Israel |url=https://theintercept.com/2022/07/24/google-israel-artificial-intelligence-project-nimbus/ |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=The Intercept |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=April 21, 2021 |title=Israel picks Amazon's AWS, Google for flagship cloud project |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-picks-amazons-aws-google-flagship-cloud-project-2021-04-21/ |access-date=August 31, 2022}}</ref> The contract has been criticized by shareholders and employees over concerns that the project could lead to human rights abuses against [[Palestinians]], in the context of the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]] and the disputed status of [[Palestinian territories]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 18, 2022 |first=Sam |last=Biddle |title=Google and Amazon Face Shareholder Revolt Over Israeli Defense Work |url=https://theintercept.com/2022/05/18/google-amazon-israel-military-nimbus/ |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=The Intercept |language=en}}</ref><ref name="TheGuardian2021">{{Cite web |date=October 12, 2021 |title=We are Google and Amazon workers. We condemn Project Nimbus |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/12/google-amazon-workers-condemn-project-nimbus-israeli-military-contract |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=[[The Guardian]]|language=en}}</ref> Ariel Koren, a former marketing manager for Google's educational products and an outspoken critic of the project, wrote that Google "systematically silences Palestinian, Jewish, Arab and Muslim voices concerned about Google's complicity in violations of Palestinian human rights—to the point of formally retaliating against workers and creating an environment of fear", and said she was retaliated against for organizing against the project.<ref name="Grant2022" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Koren |first=Ariel |date=August 30, 2022 |title=Google's Complicity in Israeli Apartheid: How Google Weaponizes "Diversity" to Silence Palestinians and Palestinian Human Rights Supporters |url=https://medium.com/@arielkoren/googles-complicity-in-israeli-apartheid-how-google-weaponizes-diversity-to-silence-palestinians-cb41b24ac423 |access-date=August 30, 2022 |website=Medium |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830120248/https://medium.com/@arielkoren/googles-complicity-in-israeli-apartheid-how-google-weaponizes-diversity-to-silence-palestinians-cb41b24ac423 |archive-date= August 30, 2022}}</ref>

In March 2024, ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that [[Google Photos]] was being used in a facial recognition program by [[Unit 8200]], a surveillance unit of the [[Israel Defense Forces|Israeli Defense Forces]], to surveil [[Palestinians]] in the [[Gaza Strip]] amid the [[Gaza war]]. A Google spokesman commented that the service is free and "does not provide identities for unknown people in photographs".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frenkel |first=Sheera |date=March 27, 2024 |title=Israel Deploys Expansive Facial Recognition Program in Gaza |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/27/technology/israel-facial-recognition-gaza.html |access-date=March 27, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

On April 18, 2024, Google dismissed 28 employees who participated in protests against the company's involvement in [[Project Nimbus]], a $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government to provide cloud computing and AI infrastructure, which the employees argued should not be used for military or intelligence services. The protesting employees, part of the group [[No Tech for Apartheid|No Tech For Apartheid]], staged sit-ins at Google's offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Day of Action |url=https://www.notechforapartheid.com/dayofaction |access-date=April 20, 2024 |website=www.notechforapartheid.com |language=en}}</ref> leading to disruptions and blockages within the company facilities.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 8, 2024 |title=Exclusive: Google Workers Revolt Over $1.2 Billion Israel Contract |url=https://time.com/6964364/exclusive-no-tech-for-apartheid-google-workers-protest-project-nimbus-1-2-billion-contract-with-israel/ |access-date=April 20, 2024 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Google sacked staff protesting about contract with Israel |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gqw1d37l4o |access-date=April 19, 2024 |website=www.bbc.com|date=April 18, 2024 }}</ref> This had followed reports of Israeli forces killing large numbers of Palestinian civilians while using own Lavender AI system to identify targets.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=McKernan |first1=Bethan |last2=Davies |first2=Harry |date=April 3, 2024 |title='The machine did it coldly': Israel used AI to identify 37,000 Hamas targets |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/israel-gaza-ai-database-hamas-airstrikes |access-date=April 20, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Iraqi |first=Amjad |date=April 3, 2024 |title='Lavender': The AI machine directing Israel's bombing spree in Gaza |url=https://www.972mag.com/lavender-ai-israeli-army-gaza/ |access-date=April 20, 2024 |website=+972 Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Antitrust, 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>

On September 10, 2024, Europe's top court imposed a €2.4 billion fine on Google for abusing its dominance in the shopping comparison market, marking the conclusion of a case that began in 2009 with a complaint from British firm Foundem.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gerken |first=Tom |title=EU court rules Google must pay €2.4bn fine |date=September 10, 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw3e1pn741o |website=BBC News |access-date=September 10, 2024}}</ref>

On September 18, 2024, Alphabet's Google won a €1.49 billion ($1.7 billion) antitrust fine from the European Union, while Qualcomm's efforts to repeal a penalty were unsuccessful. The General Court agreed with many of the European Commission's findings but annulled the Google fine, stating that the Commission failed to consider all relevant factors and did not demonstrate harm to innovation or consumers. Google noted that it had already changed its contract practices in 2016. Meanwhile, Qualcomm saw its fine reduced slightly but failed to overturn the ruling regarding its predatory pricing against Icera. Both companies have options to appeal further.<ref>{{cite news|last= Chee |first=Foo Yun |title=Google wins EU antitrust fine fight but setback for Qualcomm |date=September 18, 2024 |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-wins-challenge-against-149-bln-euro-eu-antitrust-fine-2024-09-18/ |access-date=September 18, 2024}}
</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, Bard, now renamed 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=March 21, 2024 |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 [[United States v. Google LLC (2020)|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> In August 2024, [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|District of Columbia U.S. District Court]] Judge [[Amit Mehta]] ruled that Google held a monopoly in online search and text advertising in violation of Section 2 of the [[Sherman Antitrust Act]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Goswami|first1=Rohan|last2=Elias|first2=Jennifer|date=August 5, 2024|title=Google loses antitrust case over search|publisher=CNBC|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/05/google-loses-antitrust-case-over-search.html|access-date=August 5, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Kruppa|first1=Miles|last2=Wolfe|first2=Jan|date=August 5, 2024|title=Google Loses Antitrust Case Over Search-Engine Dominance|work=The Wall Street Journal|publisher=News Corp|url=https://www.wsj.com/tech/google-loses-federal-antitrust-case-27810c43|access-date=August 5, 2024}}</ref>

On October 8, 2024, The U.S. government suggested it could request Google to divest parts of its business, such as the Chrome browser and Android, due to its alleged monopoly in online search. The Justice Department aimed to limit Google's growing dominance in areas like AI. Google, which intended to appeal, argued that the proposals were too extreme, while also dealing with other antitrust cases involving its app store and advertising operations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 8, 2024|title=US considers breakup of Google in landmark search case|newspaper=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-propose-how-google-should-boost-online-search-competition-2024-10-08/ |access-date=October 9, 2024}}</ref>

In November 2024, the Justice Department proposed major changes to curb Google's online search monopoly, including forcing the company to sell its Chrome browser, share search data with competitors, and end exclusive agreements that make Google the default search engine on devices like iPhones. The DoJ also sought a ban on Google re-entering the browser market for five years and restrictions on its investments in rival search or AI technologies. Google called these proposals excessive and harmful to consumers, pledging to appeal. A trial on the case was scheduled for April 2025, though the incoming administration and new DoJ leadership could potentially alter the course of the proceedings.<ref>{{cite news|title=Google must sell Chrome to end search monopoly, justice department argues in court filing |date=November 21, 2024 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/21/google-sell-chrome-us-court-filing-demand-competition-laws |website=The Guardian |access-date=November 21, 2024}}</ref>

===== Russia =====

On October 31, 2024, the [[Russian government]] imposed a "symbolic" fine of $20 [[decillion]] on Google for blocking pro-Russian YouTube channels. In 2022, during the invasion of Ukraine, a Russian court had ordered Google to restore the channels, with penalties doubling every week according to [[TASS]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ziady |first=Hanna |date=October 31, 2024 |title=Russia fines Google $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/31/tech/google-fines-russia/index.html |access-date=October 31, 2024 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> This comes alongside other large fines against social media companies accused of hosting content critical of the Kremlin or supportive of Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=October 31, 2024 |title=Russia says $20 decillion fine against Google is 'symbolic' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/31/russia-20-decillion-fine-against-google-symbolic-youtube-ban-pro-kremlin-media |access-date=October 31, 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==== Geolocation ====
Google has been criticized for continuing to [[Location-based service|collect location data]] from users who had turned off location-sharing settings.<ref name="Sonnemaker2021">{{Cite web |last=Sonnemaker |first=Tyler |date=May 28, 2021 |title='Apple is eating our lunch': Google employees admit in lawsuit that the company made it nearly impossible for users to keep their location private |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/unredacted-google-lawsuit-docs-detail-efforts-to-collect-user-location-2021-5 |access-date=November 17, 2022 |website=[[Business Insider]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2020, the [[FBI]] used a [[geofence warrant]] to request data from Google about Android devices near the Seattle Police Officers Guild building following an arson attempt during Black Lives Matter protests. Google provided anonymized location data from devices in the area, which raised privacy concerns due to the potential inclusion of unrelated protesters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Faife |first=Corin |date=February 5, 2022 |title=FBI used geofence warrant in Seattle after BLM protest attack, new documents show |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/5/22918487/fbi-geofence-seattle-blm-protest-police-guild-attack |access-date=November 17, 2022 |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en-US}}</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 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 |access-date=April 3, 2024 |agency=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>

In 2022 Google shared a $9 billion contract from the Pentagon for cloud computing with Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Farrell |first1=Maureen |title=Pentagon Divides Big Cloud-Computing Deal Among 4 Firms |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/07/business/pentagon-cloud-contracts-jwcc.html |work=The New York Times |date=December 7, 2022}}</ref>