For the last few years, Google has been accused of tracking users’ locations without users’ permission. yes, it’s true. if you turned off your location still google can track your location.
The privacy issue affects some two billion users of devices that run Google’s Android operating software and hundreds of millions of worldwide iPhone users who rely on Google for maps or searches.
Storing location data in violation of a user’s preferences is wrong, said Jonathan Mayer, a Princeton computer scientist and former chief technologist for the US Federal Communications Commission’s enforcement bureau.
Now, building on the previous case, four US attorney generals have filed a lawsuit against the company alleging that Google continues to track the location of users even when they turn off location sharing.
The lawsuit, filed by three US state attorney generals and led by Attorney General Karl A. Racine of the District of Columbia, highlights that Google makes its users believe that they are in full control of their data tracking activities. However, it has been found that Google users actually cannot stop the company from collecting and storing their location data and even profit from it.
The lawsuit also mentions that Google uses the personal data of its customers and users, including their location data, for targeted ads. The company reportedly does this to further expand its business and increase its revenue from advertisers.
