Settlement of Class Action Lawsuit - Google reached a preliminary settlement in a 14-year-old class action lawsuit with advertisers, agreeing to pay $100 million while denying any wrongdoing [1][2] - The lawsuit, initiated in March 2011, alleged that Google failed to provide promised discounts and charged for clicks outside targeted geographic areas [1] Legal Proceedings and Outcomes - The settlement requires judicial approval, and the lengthy legal battle was attributed to the extensive evidence gathered and mediation sessions [2] - In a separate case, a federal judge dismissed part of a lawsuit accusing Google of misleading investors about its digital advertising practices and user privacy protections, citing insufficient evidence from shareholders [3] Additional Legal Challenges - A 2023 lawsuit alleged that Google manipulated online advertising through preferential bidding and misrepresented the competitive nature of its ad market [4] - The Department of Justice is pursuing a court order to compel Google to sell its Chrome browser following a ruling that Google held an illegal search monopoly, with a hearing scheduled for April [5]

The future of Google's parent company's looks murkier than ever.Alphabet (GOOG -0.93%) (GOOGL -0.93%) is often considered a reliable blue chip tech stock. It owns Google, the world's most widely used search engine; Android, the largest mobile operating system; Chrome, which dominates the web browser market; and YouTube, the top streaming video platform with over 2.7 billion monthly active users. It also provides a broad range of market-leading cloud-based productivity and infrastructure services.Over the pa ...

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