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Consumer groups in seven European countries have filed GDPR complaints against tracking Google's location (via Reuters). The BEUC (European Consumer Organization), of which each group is a member, baderts that Google's "misleading practices" regarding the tracking of the geographical position do not actually give users the choice to activate it, and that Google does not Not properly inform them about what this tracking entails. If successful, the complaints could result in a heavy fine for the search giant.
The complaints, which each group sent to the national data protection authorities in accordance with the GDPR rules, come after the discovery that Google is able to follow the user's position even when the "Location History" option is turned off. . A second parameter, "Web Activity and Application", enabled by default, must be disabled to completely prevent GPS tracking.
BEUC claims that Google uses "misleading practices" to encourage users to activate both of these options and does not fully inform users of what this implies. As such, consent is not freely given.
In response to complaints, Google has stated that the position history is disabled by default and that it is clear that disabling it does not prevent any tracking of the location. He indicated that he intended to read the report to see if it contained any information to be taken into account.
Google is not the only technology giant to face a major GDPR complaint. Earlier this year, the Irish data protection commissioner announced that he would investigate Facebook for security breaches affecting 29 million accounts. As new legislation promulgated in May, the violations of the RGPD are still relatively unverified by the courts. As a result, it is not clear how strong the record is for these seven consumer groups. If successful, GDPR indicates that Google may be liable to a fine of up to 4% of its worldwide turnover, which would represent more than $ 4 billion on the basis of its deposits in 2017.
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