Consumer group “Google You Owe Us” has launched a classic lawsuit against Google, alleging that the company is illegally collecting personal data from more than five million iPhone users to provide them with more targeted advertising.
The alleged abuse of privacy settings took place as part of the “Safari Workaround,” with Google accused of bypassing Safari browser settings to enable tracking cookies in order to display targeted ads to iPhone users.
The group estimates that around 5.4 million consumers could claim compensation from Google, which could potentially reach £2.7 billion.
If the lawsuit is ultimately approved, customers will be able to fill out an electronic form with their information and have compensation approved as part of the lawsuit.
"I believe that what Google did was simply against the law. Their actions have affected millions of users and we will ask the courts to redress this significant violation. Through this lawsuit we are sending a strong message to Google and other technology giants by demonstrating that we are not afraid to react when our privacy is violated," a spokesperson for the movement emphasized.
Although Google has not officially responded to the lawsuit, it is not the first time the company has been targeted by the Safari Workaround. In March 2015, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that consumers were entitled to sue the giant for illegally collecting their data.
We're waiting to see what Google's response will be this time..
