Google faces class action lawsuit for violating user privacy
What's the story
Google is set to face a significant legal challenge as a federal judge has allowed a privacy class action lawsuit to proceed, following the company's unsuccessful attempt to have the case dismissed. The lawsuit, filed in July 2020, accuses Google of continuing to collect personal data from users' mobile phones even after they had opted out of tracking through their privacy settings. The trial will begin on August 18, according to Chief Judge Richard Seeborg's ruling.
Defense dismissed
Judge rejects Google's defense in privacy lawsuit
Seeborg, who presides over the federal court in San Francisco, dismissed Google's defense that it had sufficiently explained how its Web & App Activity settings worked and that users had consented to the tracking. The tech giant also argued that its basic record-keeping "doesn't hurt anyone." However, these arguments weren't enough to persuade the judge to dismiss the case.
Accusations
Google accused of violating privacy laws
The lawsuit accuses Google of breaching privacy and violating a California law against unauthorized fraudulent computer access. The plaintiffs, both Android and non-Android device users, allege that Google intercepted and stored their personal browsing histories without their consent. In his 20-page decision, Seeborg said reasonable users could perceive Google's actions as "highly offensive," considering the company collected data despite employee concerns and ambiguous disclosures.
Internal discussions
Judge cites internal communications in decision
Seeborg cited internal communications indicating Google deliberately kept users unaware of the difference between data collected inside and outside Google accounts. This was because users could find this information "alarming." However, he also mentioned that these discussions could have been focused on improving the company's products and services, leaving room for interpretation in the upcoming trial.
Google's response
Google refutes allegations, prepares for court battle
Responding to the lawsuit, Google said: "Privacy controls have long been built into our service and the allegations here are a deliberate attempt to mischaracterize the way our products work. We will continue to make our case in court against these patently false claims." This clearly shows that Google is gearing up to defend itself against these allegations in the upcoming trial.