Google to Pay $85 Million to End Arizona Consumer-Privacy Suit

October 4, 2022 at 10:42 AM MSTUpdated onOctober 4, 2022 at 3:32 PM MST

"Alphabet Inc.’s Google will pay $85 million to resolve a consumer privacy suit by Arizona claiming the technology giant surreptitiously collects data on users’ whereabouts for targeted advertising.

The settlement comes as Google is facing similar complaints by a group of state attorneys general, including Texas, Indiana and Washington D.C., in their respective state courts, over user location data. . ."

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Arizona wins $85M in history-making lawsuit against Google - AZ Big Media

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19 minutes ago · Google will pay $85 million to settle claims brought against the company under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act in State of Arizona v. Google

Bill "Quick Jab" Jabjiniak, Economic Director for City of Mesa Government

ALL THE OVER-HYPE

Technology giant Google is coming to Mesa, lured by a tax incentive agreement to build a massive data center in the emerging Elliot Road Technology Corridor.

In a major coup for Mesa, Google will join fellow tech heavyweight Apple, which already operates a large data center in the same area of southeast Mesa.

The Mesa City Council is primed to approve the Google development agreement at its meeting on Monday.

Steve Wright, a city spokesman, said he does not know specifically how many jobs will be created at the Google data center.

He said the city is limited on how much it can say about the project and that more details may become available when the agreement comes before the council Monday night.

“They’re very guarded in what they say,’’ Wright said. “Obviously, building out the facility, there will be a lot of jobs in construction.’’

Google issued a statement acknowledging the company’s interest in the data center, but it provided few details.

“Google is considering acquiring property in Mesa, AZ., and while we do not have a confirmed timeline for development for the site, we want to ensure that we have the option to further grow should our business.. .

“In terms of a financial deal, this is home run. This is a great day,’’ Mayor John Giles said, after the council discussed the deal Thursday during an hour-long executive session.

Giles said there are still elements of the project that need to be worked out, such as Google buying the property, 186 acres located at Elliot and Sossaman roads in southeast Mesa.

Giles said Google’s decision to build the data center in Mesa means that the Elliot Road Tech Corridor will be anchored at each end by one of the world’s largest tech companies, Apple and Google.

“There’s no city that wouldn’t be envious of that,’’ Giles said.

He said the project has been known to insiders by a code name, “Project Red Hawk,’’ for more than a year because Mesa signed a confidentiality agreement with Google.

Vice Mayor Mark Freeman said that Google would be buying the property from the Morrison family, long time farmers in the southeast Valley who have been selling off parts of their holdings for different types of developments — including the Morrison Ranch subdivision in southeast Gilbert.

Bill Jabjiniak, Mesa’s economic development director, played a major role in the negotiations...

Jabjiniak said during his presentation that the data center would cover a staggering 750,000 square feet.

“Data centers are the engines of the internet,’’ Jabjiniak said. “We are talking about a $1 billion corporate investment.’’

He said Google would join Apple, AT&T, and Boeing as top Fortune 500 corporations with operations in Mesa.

The agreement also requires Mesa to make available 1,120-acre feet of water to Google initially, and that the amount of water can eventually grow to 4,480-acre feet per year if Google reaches certain development milestones.

Jabjiniak said data centers use the water for evaporative cooling. He said the availability of electricity from Salt River Project also was vital in Mesa’s efforts to recruit Google.

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