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UK: Google faces legal action over data collection of iPhone users

By  |  October 3, 2019

The UK Court of Appeal has unanimously overturned a block on a class-action style lawsuit brought on behalf of four million iPhone users against Google reported the Financial Times. 

The High Court tossed the suit a year ago on legal grounds. However, the claimants sought permission to appeal and that’s been granted.

The case pertains to allegations that Google used tracking cookies to override iPhone users’ privacy settings in Apple’s Safari browser between 2011 and 2012. Specifically, that Google developed a workaround for browser settings that allowed it to set its DoubleClick Ad cookie without iPhone users’ knowledge or consent.

In 2012 the tech giant settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over the same issue agreeing to pay US$22.5 million to resolve the charge that it bypassed Safari’s privacy settings to serve targeted ads to consumers. Although Google’s settlement with the FTC did not include an admission of any legal wrongdoing.

Full Content: Financial Times

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