UK Citizens Sue Google for £3.2 Billion Over Illegal Tracking

In 2011-2012, Google bypassed Apple Safari’s privacy settings to enable targeted advertising. Residents of the United Kingdom have filed a lawsuit against Google for the “secret tracking and processing” of personal information belonging to 4.4 million iPhone owners. According to The Guardian, the class action lawsuit was filed by Richard Lloyd, the former director of the consumer group Which?.

Details of the Lawsuit

The lawsuit claims that from August 2011 to February 2012, Google circumvented the privacy settings of the Apple Safari browser to categorize users for advertising purposes. The court hearing took place on Monday, May 21.

Lawyers from the organization founded by Lloyd, Google You Owe Us, explained that Google collected data on users’ locations, racial and social backgrounds, health status (including mental health), political and sexual preferences, financial status, and purchases. This data was analyzed, and users were grouped into categories (such as “football fans” or “people interested in world events”) for targeted advertising.

Previous Settlements and Compensation Sought

According to Lloyd’s representative, Hugh Tomlinson, Google has already paid $39.5 million to settle a similar dispute in the United States. In 2012, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission fined Google $22.5 million and required the company to pay an additional $17 million to 37 states.

UK citizens hope to win at least £1 billion from Google. The Google You Owe Us lawsuit is seeking £3.2 billion in compensation—£750 for each affected user.