Google in the dock: Court rejects Google's appeal, may face heavy fine for data tracking
Google in the dock: Users have alleged that Google recorded private browsing history from their mobile devices without their permission. Google is also accused of violating California's Unauthorized Fraudulent Computer Access Law.
Chief Judge Richard Seeborg in the federal court of San Francisco rejected Google's appeal, in which it had sought to dismiss the privacy class action lawsuit filed by users. The lawsuit alleges that Google collected users' data despite turning off the tracking stop button. This decision clears the way for a possible August 18 trial of the lawsuit.
Users have accused Google of recording private browsing history from their mobile devices without permission. Google is also accused of violating California's Unauthorized Fraudulent Computer Access Law.
The court explained that the information provided to the users regarding the buttons and settings of Google was ambiguous and misleading. This attitude by Google can be "highly objectionable" to the users. Preliminary investigations revealed that Google deliberately did not explain how the data was stored as the users could have been "worried" if they had known the truth.
Google told the court that privacy controls already exist in its services. Users had accepted its terms. Its way of keeping records does not harm anyone. In August 2022, the San Francisco Federal Appeals Court alleged in another case that Google tracked Chrome browser users without their permission. In April 2022, Google also paid a fine of more than $ 5 billion in the case of tracking those browsing in "Incognito" mode.
