Google sued for illegal location data collection

Google is being sued by the attorneys general of the US states of Texas, Indiana and Washington. The tech company allegedly collected user location data using deceptive tactics. The location data was used to target more targeted advertising. This is reported by the attorney generals in the public indictment.

Illegally collected data

Google would have continued to track the location of phones with a number of apps, even if the users had disabled the function. These are phones that work with Google’s Android operating system. According to the prosecutors, the illegal collection of the location data took place between 2014 and 2019. They also believe that Google uses confusing and contradictory settings. This then makes it more difficult for the user to turn off data sharing. In 2018, researchers also established that Google tracks your location, even if you have disabled the function. A year earlier, Google was in the news for the same reason.

“In reality, consumers using Google products have no option but to allow the company to collect, store and use their location regardless of the settings they choose”

Google’s response

The Verge asked Google to comment on the lawsuit. The tech giant replied that it denies all allegations. “The attorney generals are filing a case based on inaccurate and outdated claims about our institutions,” said a Google spokesperson.

Do you allow Google to keep track of your data? Or do you have that option in this way already disabled? Let us know why in the comments below this article.

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