Google Privacy Settlement Gets Scrutiny From US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court will use a privacy case involving Google to consider making it harder for companies to settle class-action lawsuits without providing direct compensation to those affected. The justices agreed to hear arguments from two people who object to the Alphabet Inc. unit’s $8.5 million settlement of claims that it improperly disclosed users’ internet search terms to the owners of outside websites. The case centers on what critics say is an increasingly common litigation tactic, used by Facebook as well as Google. The settlement was a "cy pres" accord, meaning that much of the money went to outside groups to promote the protection of internet privacy. None of the money went directly to Google users.