An Australian judge has found that Google is misleading users about personal location data collected by the company via Android devices, a violation of Australian law Associated Press report.
According to Judge Thomas Thawley of the Federal Court, the violations took place between January 2017 and December 2018. Users who create a new Google Account while setting up a new Android device believe that the ‘Location History’ setting was the only Google Account setting that would determine whether the company collects identifiable data about the user’s location has. In fact, another default Google Account setting – the “Web and App Activity” setting – allowed Google to collect and store personally identifiable location information when it was active.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the company’s consumer watchdog organization, said it was charging fines against Google but did not specify an amount.
“This is a major victory for consumers, especially for anyone concerned about their privacy online, as the court’s ruling sends a strong message to Google and others that large businesses should not mislead their customers,” said Rod Sims. chairman of ACCC, said in a statement.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. But a spokesman told the Associated Press that the company does not agree with the judge’s findings and that he is considering an appeal.
The company has been involved in legal action in Australia for the past few months. In February, the Australian government passed a law requiring Google and Facebook to pay media companies for news content distributed on their platforms.