A consumer group in Britain called “Google You Owe Us” has filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming that the company is illegally collecting personal data from more than five million iPhone users to serve more relevant ads.
The alleged abuse of privacy settings took place as part of the saga known as the “Safari Workaround,” with Google accused of using a method to bypass Safari browser settings and enable tracking cookies in order to serve iPhone users more “personal” ads.
The group estimates that around 5.4 million consumers could win several hundred pounds in compensation and estimate that Google will ultimately have to agree to a fine of £2.7 billion.
Richard Lloyd, former chief executive of Which and government adviser, says Google breached section 4 of the Data Protection Act 1998 and that data subjects can seek compensation under section 13 of the same act.
Lloyd says that if the indictment is approved, customers will be allowed to fill out an online form, provide their information to receive some compensation as part of the lawsuit.
“I believe what Google did was simply illegal. Their actions have affected millions of users, and we will ask the courts to redress this significant violation. With this lawsuit, we will send a strong message to Google and other tech giants in Silicon Valley that we are not afraid to fight back if the laws are violated.”
“Google owes it to all of these affected people. By coming together, we can show Google that they cannot download our data without our consent and that, no matter how big and powerful, no one is above the law.”
While Google has not issued a statement regarding this lawsuit, it is not the first time the company has been sued over the Safari Workaround.
In March 2015, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that consumers had the right to bring a tort action against Google for collecting their data without permission.
Google said at the time that it was “disappointed by the court’s decision.”
