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I would suspect that entities affected don't have money for a lawsuit.

by varispeed 22d ago

pottspotts 22d ago
Are most Americans not able to fight an international tech conglomerate at the drop of a hat?
- mitxela 21d ago
  Even a failed lawsuit has the potential to cost the company a lot more money than it costs you. If it's small claims court the company has to pay a lawyer hourly to attend as their representative, while you just have to show up and pay the small court fee. If it's big claims court, well, you always have the option to represent yourself, and then you'll probably lose, but at least you won't have spent much money.
Grombobulous 22d ago
Small claims court!
- qlte 21d ago
  ...which Google then wins on appeal, such as in the follow up from an example someone posted above of a "win" in small claims. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-google-bothered-to-ap_b_213176 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-google-bothered-to-ap_b_2...
  - Grombobulous 20d ago
    If you lose on appeal perhaps your case wasn’t that strong to begin with. If I were the author if that article I would rest easy knowing that Google blew 5 figures on lawyers to recover $800 and enhance my journalism.
hn_throwaway_99 22d ago
This is what class actions are literally for. Yes, I know it sucks that the only people who make money are the lawyers, but it can result in some behavioral change. Google is fine attracting bots when it makes money for itself, but it can clearly detect that bot traffic when it has to pay out. There is likely huge amounts of money in total that Google has collected money from in ad buys but that they could also detect as bots. I would think class action lawyers would be all over this given the total amount of money involved.
- crooked-v 22d ago
  Unless, of course, the terms of service require mandatory binding arbitration and bar you from the recourse of the legal system entirely.
  - hn_throwaway_99 22d ago
    I agree these clauses suck, but consumer mass arbitration is also a thing.
    - eadler 20d ago
      Until the terms start including "mass arbitration" provisions limiting consumers ability to even use the psuesocourts the companies force.
- mitxela 22d ago
  It doesn't have to be a class action. In fact it's worse for the defending company if they get 500 separate lawsuits than one class action.
  - bluGill 21d ago
    Problem is the guy here spent $100 on ads that went to bots, and thus can get his $100 back after spending a million on lawyers.

I would suspect that entities affected don't have money for a lawsuit.

pottspotts 22d ago

Are most Americans not able to fight an international tech conglomerate at the drop of a hat?

mitxela 21d ago
Even a failed lawsuit has the potential to cost the company a lot more money than it costs you. If it's small claims court the company has to pay a lawyer hourly to attend as their representative, while you just have to show up and pay the small court fee. If it's big claims court, well, you always have the option to represent yourself, and then you'll probably lose, but at least you won't have spent much money.

Grombobulous 22d ago

Small claims court!

qlte 21d ago
...which Google then wins on appeal, such as in the follow up from an example someone posted above of a "win" in small claims. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-google-bothered-to-ap_b_213176 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-google-bothered-to-ap_b_2...
- Grombobulous 20d ago
  If you lose on appeal perhaps your case wasn’t that strong to begin with. If I were the author if that article I would rest easy knowing that Google blew 5 figures on lawyers to recover $800 and enhance my journalism.

hn_throwaway_99 22d ago

This is what class actions are literally for. Yes, I know it sucks that the only people who make money are the lawyers, but it can result in some behavioral change. Google is fine attracting bots when it makes money for itself, but it can clearly detect that bot traffic when it has to pay out. There is likely huge amounts of money in total that Google has collected money from in ad buys but that they could also detect as bots. I would think class action lawyers would be all over this given the total amount of money involved.

crooked-v 22d ago
Unless, of course, the terms of service require mandatory binding arbitration and bar you from the recourse of the legal system entirely.
- hn_throwaway_99 22d ago
  I agree these clauses suck, but consumer mass arbitration is also a thing.
  - eadler 20d ago
    Until the terms start including "mass arbitration" provisions limiting consumers ability to even use the psuesocourts the companies force.
mitxela 22d ago
It doesn't have to be a class action. In fact it's worse for the defending company if they get 500 separate lawsuits than one class action.
- bluGill 21d ago
  Problem is the guy here spent $100 on ads that went to bots, and thus can get his $100 back after spending a million on lawyers.