The Associated Press takes a harder look at Google's $90 million click fraud settlement, which is looking increasingly ridiculous in the wake of several reports indicating a click fraud rate of nearly
20 percent. Advertisers are accusing the media giant of shortchanging them with their offer of $60 million in advertising credit (it's $60 million when you take out the $30 million that goes to the
advertisers' lawyers). That offer works out to $4.50 for every $1,000 spent on Google's ad network in the past 4 years and three months. Independent studies, meanwhile, allege that between $100 and
$400 of every $1,000 spent on Google stems from click fraud. Yikes. Radiator.com claims that click fraud may have accounted for 35 percent of its $20 K bill. Google says it didn't charge the firm for
fraudulent clicks it detected, but it didn't give the firm a detailed report or anything, either. If the entire $90 million deal is rejected by advertisers, who have until late June to protest the
refund offer, lawyers will have to go back to the drawing board. Radiator.com has already rejected the proposal. Those who don't participate are free to file a new suit or join a pending one in
California. A decision about whether or not to accept Google's settlement from that lawsuit is expected in late July.
Read the whole story at Associated Press / Yahoo »
