Privacy Groups Profit From Google Buzz Settlement

Consumer and academic groups that work on behalf of privacy and individual liberty will be receiving millions of dollars from Google as part of an $8.5 million class-action settlement that has won final approval by a federal judge.

San Jose U.S. District Court Judge James Ware gave final approval to the settlement, which had been reached last September.

The suit was brought on behalf of 31 million Gmail users who sued Google for exposing their personal information without their consent through a feature called Google Buzz.  

The Electronic Frontier Foundation will receive the largest payment – $1 million – and the American Civil Liberties Union will receive $750,000.

Other organizations receiving amounts ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 include:

• Berkeley Center for Law & Technology

• Berkeley Law School, Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic

• Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University

• Brookings Institution

• Carnegie Mellon, Cylab Usability, Privacy & Security Lab

• Center for Democracy & Technology

• Indiana University, Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research

• Stanford, Center for Internet & Society

• YMCA of Greater Long Beach

• The Electronic Privacy Information Center

• The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

• Santa Clara University

• Youth Radio