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Google accused of unlawful harvesting of personal data

1/12/2017

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Robyn Watson , Professional Support Lawyer

By and large internet users are coming to accept ever present targeted advertising when using social media and online search tools but should we be so relaxed about how our data is used? Data protection laws are designed to set controls and limits on the collection and use of our personal data and now a group led by Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, have decided to take Google to task for alleged breaches of the UK's data protection laws.

Such claims are a rarity in the English Courts and we shall have to wait and see whether there are lessons to be learned here for big tech companies and whether similar cases may follow.

Google is accused of breaching principles in the UK’s data protection laws in a “violation of trust” against iPhone users. The lawsuit was unprecedented and represented “one of the biggest fights of my life”, said Lloyd, who has led legal actions against companies before. “I believe that what Google did was simply against the law. Their actions have affected millions, and we’ll be asking the courts to remedy this major breach of trust. “Through this action, we will send a strong message to Google and other tech giants in Silicon Valley that we’re not afraid to fight back if our laws are broken.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/30/uk-class-action-accuses-google-of-unlawfully-harvesting-personal-data