Google faces a penalty for deceiving users

On April 16, the Australian Federal Court ruled that Google had deceived users about collecting personal location data through mobile devices using the Android operating system.
Therefore, even if the user refuses to share location information, this information can still be collected and used by Google. According to ABC News, Google could face a fine of up to millions of dollars after the ruling.

Previously, Google was sued by the Australian Competition and Consumers Commission (ACCC), accusing the company of illegally collecting user location data via Android phones in 2017 and 2018. into two specific Google settings that affected the location data collection, “location history” and “web and app activity”. Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, USA Photo: theonlinecitizen.com Google once stated that it only collects information from the location history feature on users’ devices from January 2017 to December 2018. However, when users enable browsing and application usage controls, Google also allows Google to collect, store and use this data by default. Google hasn’t told users that they need to turn both of these features off in order to stop the company from collecting data. The April 16 ruling of the Australian Federal Court sided with the ACCC, claiming that Google violated Australian consumer laws by collecting location history of some users even when they refused to share information. believe. However, Federal Court Judge Thomas Thawley only partially agreed to the ACCC’s anti-Google lawsuit, arguing that not all consumers were deceived by Google. In the past, there have been many studies around the world showing that location data is still collected through Android and iPhone devices, even after users believe they have not allowed this. Advertisers need these valuable data to find ways to drive location-related sales and services. However, the Australian Competition and Consumers Commission (ACCC), the body suing Google, affirms that the above ruling is the first legal action in the world on this issue. According to ACCC Chairman Rod Sims, this is a major win for consumers, especially those concerned about privacy online. The court’s decision sent a strong message to Google and other tech firms that big corporations must not deceive consumers. This decision, he stressed, is an important step towards ensuring digital platforms clearly inform consumers about the intended use of data and what they need to do to protect this information. Regarding the Australian Federal Court’s ruling, Google said that the company is considering many options, including the possibility of a complaint. According to Google, the company has provided tight controls on location data, such as the option to automatically delete location history, making it easier for users to control the data. According to the ABC News source, with this lawsuit, Google could face a penalty of up to $ 1.1 million per violation. However, this is not the first time that Google has been sued for unauthorized collection of user locations. Previous lawsuits have accused the tech giant of tracking users through location, browsing behavior, and even collecting personal information from children without parental consent. .. Google has spent millions of dollars in the US alone on privacy fines, but this is not worth considering the giant’s annual revenue.