Judge in Australia finds Google misled Android users about location data collection
Google wasn’t clear about which Android settings allowed it to collect location info, the judge ruled
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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
A judge in Australia found Google misled users about personal location data the company collected via Android devices, a violation of Australian law, the
According to Federal Court Judge Thomas Thawley, the violations occurred between January 2017 and December 2018. Users creating a new Google account while setting up a new Android device were led to believe that the “Location History” setting was the only Google account setting that would determine if the company collected identifiable data about the user’s location. In fact, another Google account setting that was turned on by default the “Web & App Activity” setting allowed Google to collect and store personally identifiable location information when it was active.
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Australian court hits Google over collection of user location data
FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Google logo is seen in this illustration taken on Apr 12, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)
16 Apr 2021 12:34PM (Updated:
16 Apr 2021 12:40PM) Share this content
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SYDNEY: An Australian court ruled on Friday (Apr 16) that Google misled consumers about collecting location data through Android mobile devices in what the country s competition watchdog called a world-first action against the digital giant.
The federal court found that Google violated Australian consumer law by collecting the Location History of some users even when they had opted out of sharing that information.
Australian court hits Google over data collection
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published : 16 Apr 2021 at 11:45
1 Location data can be highly valuable to advertisers trying to pitch products and services to consumers. (AFP photo)
SYDNEY: An Australian court ruled Friday that Google misled consumers about collecting location data through Android mobile devices in what the country s competition watchdog called a world-first action against the digital giant.
The federal court found that Google violated Australian consumer law by collecting the Location History of some users even when they had opted out of sharing that information.
It also said Google failed to make clear to users that allowing tracking of Web & App Activity on their phones would also give permission to retain the location data.
Google violated Australian law by misleading users of Android mobile devices about the use of their location data, a court ruled Friday in a landmark decision against the global digital giant.
Google Broke Australian Law Over Location Data Collection: Court ibtimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ibtimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.