Google has reached a $93m (£75m) settlement with the state of California, following allegations that the company violated the state’s data protection laws. 

The lawsuit was brought by California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, following a multiyear investigation into the company’s data “misleading” data policies. 

Location data is a key part of Google’s digital advertising business, which it uses in combination with the personal and behavioural data it collects to build detailed user profiles for ad targeting. It is among the most sensitive and valuable personal information Google collects, as even a limited amount can expose a person’s identity and routines and can be used to infer personal details.

The investigations found that Google was “deceiving users” by collecting, storing and using their location data for advertising purposes without informed consent. Moreover, the suit claimed that the company continued these practices even after users turned...