Google sued by Arizona over allegations of unlawful tracking of Android users’ locations

Google, as well as other tech giants, have been under increasing scrutiny in regards to the privacy of their users. Now, The Washington Post reports that Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is suing Google over allegations of unlawfully using location data from Android users.

Allegedly, Google has kept location data services running in the background even after the user disabled app-specific location tracking. The complaint states that in order to completely turn off location services, the user has to search deep into the Android system settings and turn it off from there, on a system level. Therefore, Brnovich alleges that Google has deceived device owners and allegedly found misleading ways to obtain information and use it for profit.

Additionally, Brnovich is asking for Google to pay back profits it may have earned from targeted advertisements, sent to Arizona residents. Allegedly, such ads could have been based on the allegedly deceivingly obtained location data. Reportedly, Arizona’s anti-fraud laws could subject Google to $10,000 fine per violation.

In response to that, a Google spokesperson told The Verge that Brnovich and the lawyers involved in filing the lawsuit have mischaracterized Google’s services. The spokesperson added that Google has always built privacy features into their products, and the company has provided robust controls for location data services to Android users. The spokesperson also added that Google is looking forward to setting the record straight.