"There's hardly ever such a thing as truly free money. We pay for everything, in some way: with labor, with time, with suffering. So getting a payment from a tech or social media settlement isn't exactly free - it's likely the company messed up in some way and it legitimately owes you that cash - but it certainly can feel like getting free money. And if you're already using the tech or platform, then you might as well get paid for the issue."
"In 2019, Google was sued for allegendly collecting data on users under the age of 13. The suit was amended, and re-amended repeatedly, and in January 2025, a judge finally ruled. While the judge only agreed with some of the plaintiff's claims, they ultimately ruled that Google knowingly "engaged in highly offensive conduct." Now, Google has agreed to a $30 million settlement (without admitting any wrongdoing), and a settlement claims website is now live."
Recent settlements provide potential payments to users when companies mishandle data or experience breaches. Google agreed to a $30 million settlement over alleged collection of data on users under age 13, with eligibility tied to watching YouTube between July 1, 2013 and April 1, 2020; a judge found certain conduct "highly offensive." The settlement does not include an admission of wrongdoing and a claims portal is live. AT&T settled data-breach lawsuits for $177 million covering incidents from 2019–2024, and customers should monitor contact notices or proactively check claim resources to determine eligibility.
Read at Mashable
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]