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U.K. Court Reinstates Lawsuit Accusing Google of Bypassing Safari's Privacy Settings to Track iPhone Users
An appeals court in London has reinstated a lawsuit filed against Google that accuses the company of unlawfully gathering personal information by circumventing the iPhone's default privacy settings, according to Bloomberg.
The collective action, equivalent to a class action lawsuit in the United States, alleged that Google illegally tracked and gathered the personal data of over four million iPhone users in the U.K. between 2011 and 2012. The case was first brought in November 2017 and had been dismissed in October 2018.
"This case, quite properly if the allegations are proved, seeks to call Google to account for its allegedly wholesale and deliberate misuse of personal data without consent, undertaken with a view to a commercial profit," wrote Judge Geoffrey Vos in a ruling today, per the report.
A similar lawsuit was filed in the United States in 2012, when Google was discovered to be circumventing privacy protections in Safari on iOS in order to track users through ads on numerous popular websites.
Specifically, Google took advantage of a Safari loophole that made the browser think that the user was interacting with a given ad, thus allowing a tracking cookie to be installed. With that cookie installed, it became easy for Google to add additional cookies and to track users across the web.
At the time, Safari blocked several types of tracking, but made an exception for websites where a person interacted in some way — by filling out a form, for example. Google added code to some of its ads that made Safari think that a person was submitting an invisible form to Google, thus creating a temporary cookie.
Google stopped this practice after it was reported by The Wall Street Journal, and refuted many details of the report, while Apple closed the loophole in a Safari update shortly after. Google also paid a then-record $22.5 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission over its practices back in 2012.
"Protecting the privacy and security of our users has always been our No. 1 priority," a Google spokeswoman told Bloomberg. "This case relates to events that took place nearly a decade ago and that we addressed at the time."
The collective action, equivalent to a class action lawsuit in the United States, alleged that Google illegally tracked and gathered the personal data of over four million iPhone users in the U.K. between 2011 and 2012. The case was first brought in November 2017 and had been dismissed in October 2018.
"This case, quite properly if the allegations are proved, seeks to call Google to account for its allegedly wholesale and deliberate misuse of personal data without consent, undertaken with a view to a commercial profit," wrote Judge Geoffrey Vos in a ruling today, per the report.
A similar lawsuit was filed in the United States in 2012, when Google was discovered to be circumventing privacy protections in Safari on iOS in order to track users through ads on numerous popular websites.
Specifically, Google took advantage of a Safari loophole that made the browser think that the user was interacting with a given ad, thus allowing a tracking cookie to be installed. With that cookie installed, it became easy for Google to add additional cookies and to track users across the web.
At the time, Safari blocked several types of tracking, but made an exception for websites where a person interacted in some way — by filling out a form, for example. Google added code to some of its ads that made Safari think that a person was submitting an invisible form to Google, thus creating a temporary cookie.
Google stopped this practice after it was reported by The Wall Street Journal, and refuted many details of the report, while Apple closed the loophole in a Safari update shortly after. Google also paid a then-record $22.5 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission over its practices back in 2012.
"Protecting the privacy and security of our users has always been our No. 1 priority," a Google spokeswoman told Bloomberg. "This case relates to events that took place nearly a decade ago and that we addressed at the time."
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2 weeks ago
I love how Google claimed this was an "accident".
As if code gets "accidentally" written to take advantage of an exploit. I also like how Google failed to report this to Apple when they discovered it.
As if code gets "accidentally" written to take advantage of an exploit. I also like how Google failed to report this to Apple when they discovered it.
2 weeks ago
$22M is chicken feed to Google. The fine should have been $1B (~10% of profits) to ensure they don't try this kind of circumvention again.
2 weeks ago
The amount of times Google has shown me suggestions for things that have come up in conversations with friends, that I've NEVER ONCE typed into any search bar, is astounding.
Just in the last week, Google suggested:
-Rolls Royce Merlin Engines
-Anne Akiko Meyers
-Theremin
-Identifying types of wasps
I've never searched for ANY of these and never seen any recommendations of the sort until I spoke those words aloud.
Just in the last week, Google suggested:
-Rolls Royce Merlin Engines
-Anne Akiko Meyers
-Theremin
-Identifying types of wasps
I've never searched for ANY of these and never seen any recommendations of the sort until I spoke those words aloud.
2 weeks ago
It sounds like they are suing Google for Apple bug.
Google wrote code to take advantage of an exploit in Safari. They are no different than scammers/hackers exploiting flaws for their own benefit.
They should have reported the issue to Apple so it could be fixed. You know, like they are more than happy to when Project Zero finds an exploit and they can pat themselves on the back in public for finding it.
Hypocrites.
Edited: Even the article (if you read it) says so.
“Google added code to some of its ads that made Safari think that a person was submitting an invisible form to Google, thus creating a temporary cookie.”
2 weeks ago
While facebook gets all the well deserved press about their unwavering devotion to greed, Google is actually worse.
2 weeks ago
In this case, "loophole" is synonym with "bug". Safari developers simply did not know enough about web interfaces and overlooked some scenarios.
So if I break a window in your house (a loophole) and steal all your stuff, then its your fault for not having unbreakable windows right? You simply did not know enough about windows and overlooked some scenarios.
Or, lets make it even simpler. You made a door, but you didn't check some obscure scenario where if I turned the handle juuuuuuuust right while inserting an incorrect key and tapping on the hinge it would unlock? Its ok if I steal all your stuff right? Its your fault for not having impenetrable unbreakable security. I just exploited a "loophole" after all. You simply did not know enough about home security and overlooked some scenarios.
2 weeks ago
The headline says it is about a lawsuit against google for taking advantage of Apple's lack of security.
No it doesn’t.
2 weeks ago
Google will track anything and anyone it can in order to make a buck. While running a newwork monitor, you should see all the info Chrome is sending out, and all the background "helper" apps it has running.
Big brother is watching. Its name is Google.
Big brother is watching. Its name is Google.
2 weeks ago
So... where do those of us in the UK sign up to get compensation from Google?
Don’t worry. The UK government will carefully reinvest the millions of pounds in fines into surveilling the public.
2 weeks ago
Wanna know the creepiest part? My phone was OFF during all the times Anne Akiko Meyers was mentioned. She was the solo violinist in my concert last week. I always turn my phone off during performances. And Google started sending those recommendations the very next morning.
That's AI for you. There might be people around you with their devices turned on, and Google's AI recognized your *voice* thru their device(s). Might sound unbelievable to some, but I've seen this verified during one of the various AI experiments @ MIT labs ?
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