Google location tracking data gets giant corporate sued

tech.hindustantimes.com:

A group of state attorneys general, including Texas, Indiana and Washington D.C., said Monday they were suing Alphabet Inc.’s Google over what they allege are deceptive tactics designed to trick consumers into disclosing location data to more accurately target advertising. 

Even when consumers turn off location tracking on their phones, Google continues to track their movements using a separate function called “Web & App activity,” the attorneys general said. They cited a 2018 Associated Press report as the basis for the assertion and said the company has since removed a consumer notice claiming that “the places you go are no longer stored.” Portions of the lawsuits were redacted, and the copy of the Washington D.C. complaint said it was filed under seal. 

“In reality, regardless of the settings they select, consumers who use Google products have no option but to allow the company to collect, store and use their location,” according to a complaint posted on social media by Washington D.C. 

The claims amount to yet another legal challenge to Google’s information gathering, which has come under intense scrutiny from regulators and consumer advocates claiming it is more invasive than consumers want or realize. The company is already facing questions about whether it continues to track web browsers who believe its “incognito mode” cloaks their identity, and whether users can effectively block its activity-tracking cookies.

A Google spokesman, Jose Castaneda, said in a statement that the lawsuits are “based on inaccurate claims and outdated assertions about our settings. We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data. We will vigorously defend ourselves and set the record