Google has agreed to a significant settlement, amounting to $100 million in cash, to resolve a class-action lawsuit brought by advertisers. The lawsuit alleged that Google had overcharged advertisers for their services. This settlement marks the end of a protracted legal battle that has spanned several years. The case, known as Cabrera et al v Google LLC, was filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, under case number 11-01263. Court documents reveal the extensive efforts required to reach this agreement. The parties involved produced a substantial amount of evidence, including over 910,000 pages of documents and multiple terabytes of click data sourced directly from Google's servers. This vast collection of data underscores the complexity and scale of the allegations. Furthermore, the path to settlement was not straightforward. The parties engaged in six separate mediation sessions, utilizing the expertise of four different mediators. This highlights the challenges in reaching a consensus and the commitment of both sides to explore all possible avenues for resolution. The lengthy process underscores the intricacies of the claims and the significant financial implications for Google. The reporting on this settlement was conducted by Jonathan Stempel in New York, with editing by Mark Porter, and was initially reported by Reuters. The settlement resolves a long-standing dispute and allows Google to move forward, while also providing compensation to the affected advertisers.
