US court revives Chrome users’ privacy lawsuit against Google

The case has been sent back for further review. Google disagrees with the ruling but remains confident in its position.
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A US appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit against Google, allowing Chrome users to pursue claims that the company collected their data without permission. The case centres on users who chose not to synchronise their Chrome browsers with their Google accounts yet allege that Google still gathered their information.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco determined that a lower court had prematurely dismissed the case without adequately considering whether users had consented to the data collection. The decision follows a previous settlement where Google agreed to destroy billions of records in a similar lawsuit, which accused the company of tracking users who believed they were browsing privately in Chrome’s ‘Incognito’ mode.

Google has expressed disagreement with the ruling, asserting confidence in its privacy controls and the benefits of Chrome Sync, which helps users maintain a consistent experience across devices. However, the plaintiffs’ lawyer welcomed the court’s decision and is preparing for a trial.

Why does this matter?

Initially dismissed in December 2022, the lawsuit has now been sent back to the district court for further proceedings. The case could impact thousands of Chrome users using the browser since July 2016 without enabling the sync function, raising broader questions about the clarity and transparency of Google’s privacy policies.