Google Faces Dual Legal Challenges Over Privacy Violations in US and France

In a significant week for digital privacy enforcement, Google has been subjected to substantial penalties in both the United States and France, highlighting the intensifying global scrutiny of tech companies' data practices.

On September 3, 2025, a federal jury in San Francisco ordered Google to pay $425.7 million in damages for unlawfully collecting data from users who had disabled the "Web & App Activity" tracking feature. The class-action lawsuit, initiated in July 2020, alleged that between 2012 and 2020, Google continued to gather user data through partnerships with third-party apps like Uber, Venmo, and Instagram, despite users' explicit privacy settings. The jury found Google liable for invasion of privacy under California law but did not award punitive damages, as it determined the company did not act with malice. (apnews.com)

Simultaneously, France's data protection authority, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), imposed a €325 million ($381 million) fine on Google for displaying advertisements in Gmail users' inboxes and setting cookies during account creation without obtaining proper user consent. The ruling mandates that Google cease these practices within six months or face additional daily penalties of €100,000. CNIL's investigation revealed that more than 74 million accounts were affected by the cookie violations, with at least 53 million individuals exposed to unauthorized advertisements embedded within Gmail. (reuters.com)

These legal actions underscore the growing demand for transparency and accountability from tech companies regarding user data. They also reflect a broader societal push for stronger data protection measures and the enforcement of user privacy rights.

In response to the CNIL's decision, a Google spokesperson stated that users can always control the ads they see and highlighted recent updates designed to address CNIL’s concerns, such as easier options to decline personalized ads and improved ad presentation in Gmail. (reuters.com)

These developments highlight the increasing global scrutiny of tech companies' data privacy practices and the enforcement of stringent regulations to protect user information.