A a group of consumers in the UK under the name "Google You Owe Us" filed a lawsuit against Google, because it claims that the company illegally collects privacy by more than five million users iPhone to serve more relevant ads.
The alleged abuse of privacy settings took place in the context of the saga known as “Safari Workaround", with Google being accused of using a method to bypass Safari browser settings and enable tracking cookies in order to serve iPhone users more "personalised" ads.
The team estimates that about 5,4 million consumers could earn several hundred pounds of compensation and they expect Google to finally agree to a fine of 2,7 worth billions of pounds.
Richard Lloyd, a former executive director of Which and a government adviser, reports that Google has violated 4's 1998 Data Protection Act and that interested parties can claim compensation under Article 13 of the same law.
Lloyd reports that if the indictment is approved, customers will be allowed to fill in an online form, providing their details to obtain compensation under the lawsuit.
"I think what Google did was simply illegal. Their actions have affected millions of users and we will be asking the courts to remedy this major breach. With this lawsuit, we will send a strong message to Google and other tech giants in Silicon Valley that we are not afraid to stand up if laws are broken.”
"Google owes all those affected. "Together, we can show Google that they can not download our data without our consent and that no matter how big or powerful it is, no one can be above the law."
While Google has not issued a statement about this lawsuit, it is not the first time the company has been sued for the Safari Workaround.
In March of 2015, the Court of Appeals of the United Kingdom decided that consumers had the right to pursue torts against Google to collect their data without permission.
Google said at the time that it was "disappointed with the court ruling."
