Yes, the Google ‘Referrer Header’ class action settlement is real

1 year ago 7

If you used Google search between October 2006 and September 2013, you could receive money as part of a $23 million class action settlement.

VERIFY often reports on class action lawsuit settlements that offer affected customers money if they file a claim.

Now, people online are looking for information about a Google “Referrer Header” settlement. A VERIFY reader also asked if the Google class action settlement is real.

THE QUESTION

Is the Google “Referrer Header” class action settlement real?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

Yes, the Google “Referrer Header” class action settlement is real.

WHAT WE FOUND

Online search giant Google has agreed to pay a $23 million class action settlement over privacy concerns, Kroll Settlement Administration announced in a press release on June 1.

The class action lawsuit claims that Google improperly shared people’s search queries with third-party websites and companies. Google has denied any wrongdoing, according to the settlement administrator.

Kroll Settlement Administration’s press release directs people to referrerheadersettlement.com for claim forms and more information about the Google settlement.

You are eligible for the settlement if you used Google search and clicked on a resulting link any time between Oct. 25, 2006 and Sept. 30, 2013, according to the official settlement website.

Each person who files an approved claim in the settlement is expected to receive about $7.70, based on available data. But the final payment amount will depend on how many people submit claims and how much money it costs to administer the settlement, the settlement website says.

The deadline to file a claim online or by mail is July 31, 2023.

If you want to file a claim by mail, you can print a form on the settlement website’s documents page and mail it to the following address:

In re Google Referrer Header Privacy Settlement
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration

P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150

It’s unclear when eligible class members will receive their settlement payments. A final approval hearing for the settlement is currently scheduled for Oct. 12, 2023.

“Settlement payments will be distributed as soon as possible, if and when the Court grants final approval of the settlement and after any appeals are resolved,” the settlement website says.

Any emails about the settlement will come from no-reply@mail.ksaaadministration.com.

Answers to more frequently asked questions about the settlement are available online.

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