Google sued over its location tracking activities
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The complaint was filed on April 27 in Detroit. The plaintiffs in this case want to represent other Android users who think Google is violating their rights with its location tracking activities, which may result in a class action lawsuit, similar to the one that was filed against Apple for the very same reasons.
The plaintiffs are seeking "at least $50 million in damages and a court order requiring Google to stop tracking its products’ users."
Google refused to comment on the lawsuit.
Both Apple and Google are to testify in a Senate hearing concerned with consumer privacy on mobile devices. The hearing is scheduled for May 10.
In an e-mail dated April 27, the Mountain View-based company's spokesman Chris Gaither said that lawmakers don't have to be worried about Google's collection of data, stating that "we provide users with notice and control over the collection, sharing and use of location", while adding "any location data that is sent back to Google location servers is anonymized and is not tied or traceable to a specific user."
source: Bloomberg
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41 Comments
1. Sniggly posted on 29 Apr 2011, 10:07 6 3
Well, Gemini, you were right about at least one thing: there's opportunists everywhere. 50 million in fucking damages? These two idiots don't deserve Android.
6. jogutier posted on 29 Apr 2011, 10:54 2 1
Maaaaan, 50 million in damages. What people will do for money just racks my brain. LOL!
14. messiah posted on 29 Apr 2011, 12:57 3 1
i love android, but understand the terms here.... Class action ... would mean 50 million divided between to 300 million android users..... means we would all get pennies from google.... big deal... id rather google kept up with annonymous info gathering and making great products...
17. 530gemini posted on 29 Apr 2011, 13:38 0 0
Hahahahahaha, sorry. It's a simple chain reaction. Opportunists from the other camp see the opportunity, and they go for it as well.
But just like Apple, this will get them nowhere. The lawyers win in the end. Those android users will get ZERO. I can't believe they even put a price tag. That would even attract more android users to join the class suit. Oh well.
Like I said, don't throw a rock to glass house when you live in a glass house yourself :)
24. Sniggly posted on 29 Apr 2011, 15:36 0 0
Well, if you recall, I thought that the lawsuit was fucking stupid too. I know how little class actions solve, and Apple DID respond and say they were fixing the issue. Both of the lawsuits will be utter fails, hopefully.
19. Hallucinator posted on 29 Apr 2011, 13:46 2 2
The don't deserve android line is just ridiculous. Kind of makes you sound 13.
2. Rich (unregistered) posted on 29 Apr 2011, 10:14 1 1
o goodness gracious. all people these days want is reasons to try and sue for free money.....
HAS LOCATION TRACKING EVER HURT ANYONE!?? give it up with these "at least $50 million in damages"
god darn money sniffers.
7. dex-4 posted on 29 Apr 2011, 11:29 0 0
It's not about the money, but about the principal. If you sue google for $1 do you think they will care. No.
How much of this information do you think has been sold to other companies? Probably enough to make up the $50 million.
Has it hurt anyone if the government listens in on everyone's telephone conversations? Probably not, but no one wants that.
8. Rich (unregistered) posted on 29 Apr 2011, 11:37 3 2
i hate to say it... but nobody is making people use these devices. you buy the product and agree to its use.... you cant go around sueing them now. just dont use them if you dont like it.
13. dex-4 posted on 29 Apr 2011, 12:28 0 4
So what do you call a company that takes information from you without your knowledge?
16. this guy (unregistered) posted on 29 Apr 2011, 13:14 0 0
its stupid for them to sue cuz the information they take is harmless unless your running from the law then ok that sucks but u agree to the terms and activate the locating gps so u just agreed to google to follow you....these guy are a bunch of idiots and any who agree is too....just saying
18. 530gemini posted on 29 Apr 2011, 13:44 1 1
Hey Mr paranoid. It's called service improvement. And the data that actually goes back to them are anonymized.
25. Sniggly posted on 29 Apr 2011, 15:38 1 1
Whoa, shit, someone take a screenshot! Gemini is keeping an argument of his consistent and applying it to Google! :D
22. Hallucinator posted on 29 Apr 2011, 13:58 0 0
Google, Microsoft, Apple ETC....Oh you meant metaphorically. I give up...What?
15. messiah posted on 29 Apr 2011, 13:00 2 1
no body is making them buy them.. but when they do buy them under the assumption they are gertting a great product ... the clerk doesn't say "so long privacy"
no one finds out till they are home, after the first charge up.... and WHO READS THE FIFTY PAGES of google or android user license agreements????? they are written only to confuse you and irritate you enough simply to agree and move on to start playing with apps....
41. Dragan (unregistered) posted on 01 May 2011, 04:14 0 0
Yes I agree to its use but I don't remember they said anything about tracking us before we bought their phones, wright?
43. verizontech8902 (unregistered) posted on 01 May 2011, 20:19 0 0
look, the thing here is that when you first setup your android, you have a choice to enable or disable the google location services. If ya'll don't understand the terms associated with the service, then don't "AGREE" to the terms. C'mon people. I guess sense ain't so common.
3. remixfa posted on 29 Apr 2011, 10:19 2 2
they dont have a case. these idiots obviously found a lawyer that doesnt know that Android asks for concent before tracking anything and its completly anonnymous and just the last few places. Unlike apple that doesnt give an opt out and tracks everything you do.
20. 530gemini posted on 29 Apr 2011, 13:47 2 2
Lol :)
Can't blame them for trying. It became a HUGE deal, when it's not. Thanks to you fandroids. You're the ones who poured gas into a small fire thinking that it wouldn't catch up on you. Well it's been blown out of proportions now, and guess who's house is on fire now as well? :)
23. Whateverman posted on 29 Apr 2011, 15:21 3 3
You are such a full-time victim. iOS tracking is still a big deal no matter what happens to these two idiots. They pressed "Yes" or "Allow" when advised that their phone uses location data. In a nutshell, they agreed to the terms and conditions. You can decline for any app to use you location but iOS STILL saves your data. Apple admitted that it's a bug! Many Android users, including myself, even said it was too early to file lawsuits against Apple for what is a fixable problem. But that doesn't matter to you because you are always such a victim you just had to come in and say, "nah, nah-nah, nah, nah, nah.". But again, the difference is my phone told me what it was doing and when I told it to stop, it stopped. A simple little thing, turning off your location, but something you will never be able to do...until you join the darkside. Ha ha. Muha ha! Muha hahahahahaaaa! LUKE! I am your fath...okay i'll stop now.
