Australian court finds Google misleads Android users about data policies

A federal court ruled that Google misled Android users about personal location data the company collected in violation to Australian law. Users creating new accounts on their Android devices were made to believe that by deactivating their location history setting they would not have their geographic location collected. However the Google’s ‘web & app activity’ setting was active by default and allowed Google to collect and store personal and identifiable location information about its users. 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) welcomed the decision and announced it is seeking penalties against Google. The ACCC chair said ‘this is an important victory for consumers, especially anyone concerned about their privacy online, as the court’s decision sends a strong message to Google and others that big businesses must not mislead their customers’.