Referer Header Settlement: The $23M Google Privacy Case, Start to Finish
The 'referer header settlement' is In re Google Referrer Header Privacy Litigation - a case about Google leaking your search terms to the websites you clicked. It took 13 years, went to the U.S. Supreme Court, and ended with $7.70 payments in January 2024 (plus an 11-cent supplemental round that July). The claim window closed July 31, 2023, and the official website has been taken down. Here is the record.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuit Alleged
When you clicked a Google search result, Google transmitted your search query to the destination website inside the HTTP referer header - so third-party sites and the ad and analytics companies on them could see what you had searched for, including sensitive terms. Filed as Gaos v. Google in October 2010, the case argued this disclosed private information without consent. Google denied wrongdoing; the settlement also required Google to update its help pages describing how queries can be disclosed via referrer headers.
Case Details
In re Google Referrer Header Privacy Litigation, N.D. Cal. No. 5:10-cv-4809-EJD (Judge Edward J. Davila). The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court as Frank v. Gaos (decided March 20, 2019), which struck down an earlier $8.5M cy-pres-only deal that would have paid class members nothing. Administrator of the final settlement: Kroll (refererheadersettlement.com - now offline).
Status: Closed - Both Payment Rounds Completed in 2024
Who Was Eligible - and Who Isn't Now
Anyone in the U.S. who used Google Search and clicked a search result between October 25, 2006 and September 30, 2013 - attestation-based, no proof required. Today: no one can claim anything. The deadline passed in July 2023, both distributions are complete, and the official site is gone. If a site invites you to 'claim your referer header payment' in 2026, it is not connected to the court.
What People Actually Received
Referer Header Case Timeline
- 1
October 25, 2010 — Gaos v. Google Filed
Class period ultimately covers Oct 25, 2006 - Sep 30, 2013.
- 2
March 2015 — $8.5M Cy-Pres Settlement Approved
All money to charities and fees, none to class members; affirmed by the Ninth Circuit 2017.
- 3
March 20, 2019 — Supreme Court Vacates (Frank v. Gaos)
SCOTUS sends the case back over standing; the cy-pres-only deal dies.
- 4
2023 — $23M Cash Settlement; Claims Close July 31
Renegotiated settlement with real payments; final approval hearing October 12, 2023.
- 5
2024 — Payments: $7.70 (January) + ~11¢ (July)
Two distribution rounds complete the case; the administrator site goes offline by 2026.
Watch Out For
A dead settlement with a memorable name is scam bait:
Copycat claim sites
The only official site (refererheadersettlement.com, run by Kroll) is offline. Any site using this name to collect your details today is fake.
Confusing it with other Google settlements
Google Plus, the 'Incognito' case (no consumer fund), and Google Play ($700M via state AGs) are separate matters with different rules and deadlines.
'Reissue your expired payment' phishing
Real payments went out in 2024. Emails in 2026 offering to 'reissue' a referer header payment in exchange for bank logins are phishing.
Referer Header Settlement - FAQ
Can I still file a referer header settlement claim?
No. The deadline was July 31, 2023; payments went out in January and July 2024; the settlement website has been taken down.
How much did the Google referrer header settlement pay?
$7.70 per approved claim in January 2024, plus a supplemental 11-12 cents in July 2024, from a $23M fund.
What is a referer header?
A standard HTTP field a browser sends when you click a link, telling the destination site where you came from. Between 2006 and 2013 it could include your literal Google search terms - that leak was the heart of the case. ('Referer' with one R is the spelling in the HTTP specification.)
Why did the case take 13 years?
The first settlement paid class members nothing (cy pres only), was fought to the U.S. Supreme Court (Frank v. Gaos, 2019), got vacated, and had to be renegotiated into the $23M cash deal approved in 2023.
Who was covered by the settlement?
Anyone in the U.S. who clicked a Google search result between October 25, 2006 and September 30, 2013 and filed by the 2023 deadline.
Does Google still send search terms in referer headers?
Google changed search-referrer behavior years ago (encrypted search stopped passing query terms), and the settlement required clearer disclosures. Websites today generally see that you came from Google, not what you searched.
I got a small Google payment in 2024 - was that this case?
If it was $7.70 (or an 11-12 cent follow-up) via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or a virtual card, yes - that was the referer header settlement's distribution.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.