Judge allows Google privacy case to proceed to trial

The lawsuit accuses Google of collecting personal data despite users disabling tracking features on their devices.

A judge has ruled that Google must face a class action over mobile phone data privacy concerns.

Google will face a class action trial in August after failing to dismiss claims it collected personal data from mobile devices despite users disabling tracking settings. A federal judge rejected the argument that the company clearly disclosed how its Web & App Activity settings worked.

Chief Judge Richard Seeborg ruled that reasonable users could find Google’s data collection practices ‘highly offensive’ since data was collected even after concerns were raised internally about unclear disclosures. He noted internal communications indicating Google deliberately kept details vague to avoid alarming users.

Google denied wrongdoing, stating its privacy controls were long established and accusing the plaintiffs of deliberately misrepresenting its products. The plaintiffs’ lawyers, also involved in a $5 billion privacy settlement against Google last year, did not comment.

The trial, scheduled for 18 August, stems from a July 2020 lawsuit. Google previously faced similar claims when accused of tracking users in Chrome’s ‘Incognito’ mode, leading to a substantial data deletion settlement.