Groups > comp.os.linux.advocacy > #286377

Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case

From	"Ezekiel" <zeke@nosuchemail.com>
Newsgroups	comp.os.linux.advocacy
Subject	Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case
Date	2015-03-27 14:42 -0400
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<mf487d$tkd$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)

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<quote>
Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case
The floodgates are now open for UK users to sue Google over privacy 
violations tied to tracking cookies.
March 27, 2015

In a landmark ruling, the UK's Court of Appeal has dismissed Google's 
request to prevent British Web users from suing the company over tracking 
cookies and privacy violations.

The case revolves around Apple's Safari browser, Google's Safari workaround, 
and cookies. In spite of default privacy settings and user preferences --  
including an opt-out of consent to be tracked by cookies -- Google's 
tracking cookies gathered information on Safari browser users for nine 
months in 2011 and 2012.

Google profits from DoubleClick tracking cookies by installing them on 
computing devices and leading users to tailored advertisements. The 
DoubleClick ID Cookie, when settled within a user's browser, tracks and 
gathers data about the user based on Web activity and searches.

This information can include surfing habits, ethnicity, sexual interests, 
religious and political beliefs, and potentially financial data.

Three British computer users brought the case to court, arguing that Google 
ignored consumer wishes to not have tracking cookies installed on their 
machines.

Google argued the point was moot because consumers suffered no financial 
hardship due to the practice. The UK's Court of Appeal disagreed. According 
to the court's judgment:

"This is a David and Goliath victory," one of the claimants, Marc Bradshaw, 
said in a statement from the Google Action Group. "The Court of Appeal has 
ensured Google cannot use its vast resources to evade English justice. 
Ordinary computer users like me will now have the right to hold this giant 
to account before the courts for its unacceptable, immoral and unjust 
actions."

"This is an important decision that prevents Google from evading or 
trivialising these very serious intrusions into the privacy of British 
consumers," he said in the statement. "Google, a company that makes billions 
from advertising knowledge, claims that it was unaware that was secretly 
tracking Apple users for a period of nine months and had argued that no harm 
was done because the matter was trivial as consumers had not lost out 
financially. The Court of Appeal saw these arguments for what they are: a 
breach of consumers' civil rights and actionable before the English courts."
</quote>

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Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case "Ezekiel" <zeke@nosuchemail.com> - 2015-03-27 14:42 -0400
  Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case Slimer <slvrslmr@lv.c> - 2015-03-27 14:47 -0400
    Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case "Ezekiel" <zeke@nosuchemail.com> - 2015-03-27 14:55 -0400
      Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2015-03-27 20:20 +0100
        Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case "Ezekiel" <zeke@nosuchemail.com> - 2015-03-27 15:34 -0400
          Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case Melzzzzz <mel@zzzzz.com> - 2015-03-27 20:52 +0100
            Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case "Ezekiel" <zeke@nosuchemail.com> - 2015-03-27 17:26 -0400
        Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case chrisv <chrisv@nospam.invalid> - 2015-03-28 07:41 -0500
          Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case Slimer <slvrslmr@lv.c> - 2015-03-28 10:13 -0400
          Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case vallor <vallor@cultnix.org> - 2015-03-28 08:04 -0700
            Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case William Poaster <wp@dev.null> - 2015-03-28 15:18 +0000
            Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case chrisv <chrisv@nospam.invalid> - 2015-03-28 11:35 -0500
              Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case Donald Miller <donaldmiller955@mail.com> - 2015-03-28 12:52 -0400
              Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2015-03-28 18:46 -0400
            Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case "Ezekiel" <zeke@nosuchemail.com> - 2015-03-28 13:13 -0400
      Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case Slimer <slvrslmr@lv.c> - 2015-03-27 16:49 -0400
        Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case "Ezekiel" <zeke@nosuchemail.com> - 2015-03-27 17:29 -0400
          Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case Slimer <slvrslmr@lv.c> - 2015-03-27 19:26 -0400
  Re: Google loses ruling in Safari tracking case John Gohde <john.h.gohde@gmail.com> - 2015-03-27 14:39 -0700

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