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| Google faces mass legal action in UK over data snooping | Google faces mass legal action in UK over data snooping |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Google is being taken to court, accused of collecting the personal data of millions of users, in the first mass legal action of its kind in the UK. | Google is being taken to court, accused of collecting the personal data of millions of users, in the first mass legal action of its kind in the UK. |
| It focuses on allegations that Google unlawfully harvested information from 5.4 million UK users by bypassing privacy settings on their iPhones. | It focuses on allegations that Google unlawfully harvested information from 5.4 million UK users by bypassing privacy settings on their iPhones. |
| The group taking action - Google You Owe Us - is led by ex-Which director Richard Lloyd. | The group taking action - Google You Owe Us - is led by ex-Which director Richard Lloyd. |
| He estimates the users could get as much as "several hundred pounds each". | |
| The case centres on how Google used cookies - small pieces of computer text that are used to collect information from devices in order to deliver targeted ads. | The case centres on how Google used cookies - small pieces of computer text that are used to collect information from devices in order to deliver targeted ads. |
| The complaint is that for several months in 2011 and 2012 Google placed ad-tracking cookies on the devices of Safari users which is set by default to block such cookies. | The complaint is that for several months in 2011 and 2012 Google placed ad-tracking cookies on the devices of Safari users which is set by default to block such cookies. |
| 'Abuse of trust' | 'Abuse of trust' |
| The Safari workaround, as it became known, affected a variety of devices but the UK case will focus on iPhone users. | The Safari workaround, as it became known, affected a variety of devices but the UK case will focus on iPhone users. |
| Mr Lloyd said: "In all my years speaking up for consumers, I've rarely seen such a massive abuse of trust where so many people have no way to seek redress on their own." | Mr Lloyd said: "In all my years speaking up for consumers, I've rarely seen such a massive abuse of trust where so many people have no way to seek redress on their own." |
| He added: "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." | He added: "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." |
| Mr Lloyd said Google had told him that he must "come to California" if he wanted to pursue legal action against the firm. | Mr Lloyd said Google had told him that he must "come to California" if he wanted to pursue legal action against the firm. |
| "It is disappointing that they are trying to hide behind procedural and jurisdictional issues rather than being held to account for their actions," he said. | "It is disappointing that they are trying to hide behind procedural and jurisdictional issues rather than being held to account for their actions," he said. |
| Google told the BBC: "This is not new - we have defended similar cases before. We don't believe it has any merit and we will contest it." | Google told the BBC: "This is not new - we have defended similar cases before. We don't believe it has any merit and we will contest it." |
| US precedent | US precedent |
| Those affected do not have to pay any legal fees or contact any lawyers as they will automatically be part of the claim, unless they wish to opt out. | Those affected do not have to pay any legal fees or contact any lawyers as they will automatically be part of the claim, unless they wish to opt out. |
| The case is being supported by law firm Mishcon de Reya, which specialises in large-scale litigation. | The case is being supported by law firm Mishcon de Reya, which specialises in large-scale litigation. |
| Although there is no precedent for such a mass legal action in the UK, there is in the US. | Although there is no precedent for such a mass legal action in the UK, there is in the US. |
| Google agreed to pay a record $22.5m (£16.8m) in a case brought by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on the same issue in 2012. | Google agreed to pay a record $22.5m (£16.8m) in a case brought by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on the same issue in 2012. |
| The firm also settled out of court with a small number of British consumers. | The firm also settled out of court with a small number of British consumers. |
| The case will be heard in the High Court, likely in spring 2018. | The case will be heard in the High Court, likely in spring 2018. |