Google Faces Legal Battle for Allegedly Ignoring User Consent on Data Collection

San Francisco, CA : Google is in hot water as it may face a privacy lawsuit this August for continuing to collect personal data from Android users despite them opting out of tracking permissions. A federal judge has ruled against Google’s bid to dismiss a class action lawsuit, allowing a trial to move forward.

The lawsuit, filed in July 2020, accuses Google of violating California's law against unauthorized computer access by capturing and saving users' personal browsing data without consent. Despite Android users toggling off the tracking settings, Google continued to collect their data, which plaintiffs argue constitutes a breach of privacy.

Chief Judge Richard Seeborg of the San Francisco court cited internal communications showing Google's vague disclosures regarding data collection. Seeborg highlighted that some Google employees were concerned that the company's practices might be alarming to users, suggesting the potential for misleading disclosures about data usage. He also noted that, while Google's record-keeping might not have harmed anyone, it could be viewed as "highly offensive" by users, especially considering the company’s actions were not transparent.

Google, however, defends its practices, asserting that the allegations misrepresent its products and claiming the privacy controls embedded within its services are adequate.

A jury trial has been scheduled for August 18, which will determine whether Google's actions amounted to a violation of privacy laws.