Google Brazil ordered to pay R$3,000 after user’s email hack

The 11th Civil Chamber of the Minas Gerais Court of Justice upheld a lower‑court ruling that Google Brazil must pay R$3,000 in moral damages to a resident of Leopoldina, Zona da Mata. The user’s email account was compromised for six days, allowing hackers to access personal, banking and backup data and to impersonate the victim on WhatsApp, requesting Pix transfers from friends and relatives.

The court, relayed by Judge Mônica Libânio, found a structural defect in Google’s account‑recovery process and classified the intrusion as a “fortuito interno,” indicating an inherent risk in the service. Google argued that two‑factor authentication and other security measures were in place and blamed the user, but the appellate decision maintained the original compensation, citing privacy violation and emotional distress.