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Here’s how to make a claim in the $7.5M Google Plus security flaw settlement

Here’s how to make a claim in the $7.5M Google Plus security flaw settlement

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The search giant will pay out up to $12 per Class Member

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A Google logo sits at the center of ominous concentric circles
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Anyone in the United States who held a Google Plus account between January 1, 2015 and April 2, 2019, and believes they were impacted by a security flaw that Google disclosed in 2018 can now register for a payout from a class action settlement. The lawsuit has settled for a total of $7.5 million. Each class action member is eligible for a payout of up to $12 after attorney fees and other costs are accounted for, although this could vary depending on the number of people who submit a claim. You have until October 8 to register.

Although Google said at the time that there was no evidence the exposed data was ever accessed, the company wasted no time in announcing that it would shut down its social network after publicly admitting the lapse. When it announced the shutdown, Google said that its social network had seen “low usage and engagement,” which is unsurprising given it never really managed to compete against social media heavyweights like Facebook and Twitter.

Google denies any wrongdoing

Although it’s reached a settlement, Google denies the allegations made in the lawsuit. It denies any wrongdoing, and believes that no users “sustained any damages or injuries due to the software bugs.”

If you’re interested in making a claim, then you can do so over on the settlement’s website, where you’ll need to provide the email address associated with your Google Plus account. As well as holding an account between the dates listed, your data must have been exposed as part of the security lapse (Google has previously said that as many as 500,000 users were affected). A final fairness hearing is scheduled for November 19.