Google settles racial discrimination lawsuit for $50 million
The lawsuit was filed in 2022 by former Google employee April Curley, who accused the company of engaging in a “systematic practice” of unfair treatment toward Black workers.
According to her, they were deliberately placed in lower-level positions with lower pay, while those who dared to speak out faced pressure. Other former employees later joined the case, which was subsequently granted class action status.
“This case is about accountability, period. For too long, Black professionals in the tech industry have faced barriers limiting opportunities,” plaintiffs’ attorney Ben Crump said.
The agreement was announced in May 2025 and received final approval this week. Google stated that it strongly disagrees with the allegations of improper treatment of employees and remains committed to the principles of equal pay and hiring.
The lawsuit followed years of complaints from Black employees at the company, including prominent artificial intelligence researcher Timnit Gebru, who said she was forced to leave Google in 2020 after a dispute over a scientific paper about the dangers of AI.
The lawsuit alleged that Google evaluated Black candidates “through the lens of harmful racial stereotypes,” while hiring managers considered them “not sufficiently Googly,” a term the plaintiffs described as a hidden form of discrimination and a veiled racial code. According to the plaintiffs, interviewers intentionally placed Black candidates at a disadvantage and hired them into positions with less growth potential.
The settlement does not constitute an admission of guilt. In addition to compensation payments, Google agreed to conduct regular pay equity analyses, increase salary transparency, and, at least until August 2026, limit the use of mandatory arbitration in labor disputes.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a hidden 4GB artificial intelligence model, allegedly being installed by Google through its Chrome browser, has drawn criticism from computer scientist and lawyer Alexander Hanff, who claims the practice may violate privacy and environmental standards.
