[bigbadfeline]

> Google just apparently paid pocket change to settle out of court... If you're asking yourself why settle if they're innocent: it's cheaper.

It's much more likely that they aren't innocent because:

1. There's no evidence contradicting the eavesdropping charges

2. It's likely that Google paid to avoid court discovery of evidence for their wrongdoing, not because "it's cheaper"

3. While the settlement is cheap, the litigation costs for Google would hardly be higher if the won. Moreover, reputational gains from winning the lawsuit would justify paying a higher price for litigation even if it exceeded settlement costs (besides, almost any amount is "cheap" for Google).