Past Settlement

Google AdWords Clicks Settlement

Rene Cabrera, et al. v. Google, LLC

Settlement Fund

$100,000,000

Class Period

2004 – 2011 (Location Targeting Class); 2009 – 2012 (Search Bundled Clicks Class)

This lawsuit involves a dispute between Google and U.S.-based advertisers who used Google’s AdWords program between January 1, 2004 and December 13, 2012. With respect to the Location Targeting Class, Plaintiffs alleged that Google misled advertisers that Google would limit the distribution of ads to users located in the advertisers’ designated locations in violation of the California Unfair Competition Law. The lawsuit alleged that Google distributed ads outside these selected locations and charged for clicks on those ads. With respect to the Search Bundled Clicks Class, Plaintiffs alleged that Google breached its contract with advertisers participating in the AdWords program by manipulating the Smart Pricing formula, resulting in Search Bundled Clicks Class members receiving less than their bargained-for discounts. The Action alleged that Google used an artificially inflated Smart Pricing score resulting in an artificially reduced discount. Google denies all of the allegations of wrongdoing asserted in the Action and denies any liability whatsoever to the Classes.

Location Targeting Class: All persons and entities located in the United States who, between January 1, 2004 and March 22, 2011, advertised through Google’s AdWords Program and paid for clicks on their Google AdWords advertisement(s), where such clicks did not originate from the location selected by the advertiser. Search Bundled Clicks Class: All persons and entities located in the United States who, between June 1, 2009 and December 13, 2012, advertised through Google’s AdWords Program and paid for clicks on ads on Google’s Display Network where the advertiser’s settings allowed its ads to show on both the Search and Display Networks and did not set a Display Network bid different from the Search Network bid.