iPhone users may get £750 each from Google over ‘illegal’ data snooping – here’s how to check if you’re owed cash
IPHONE fans in the UK may be due a £750 payout from Google over alleged illegal data harvesting.
That’s because a mass legal action against the tech titan over claims it collected sensitive data from millions of iPhone users can now go ahead following a Court of Appeal ruling.
Senior judges concluded on Wednesday that consumer champion Richard Lloyd can bring legal proceedings on the US-based tech giant, overturning a previous court decision.
The case, which is worth as much as £3.2billion, could see more than 4million iPhone users handed £750 in compensation.
Speaking after the ruling, Mr Lloyd said: “Today’s judgement sends a very clear message to Google and other large tech companies – you are not above the law.
“Google can be held to account in this country for misusing peoples’ personal data, and groups of consumers can together ask the courts for redress when firms profit unlawfully from ‘repeated and widespread’ violations of our data protection rights.
“We will take this fight against Google all the way.”
The litigation is being brought by campaign group Google You Owe Us, led by former Which? director Mr Lloyd.
The group hopes to win at least £1billion in compensation for an estimated 4.4million users of the device in the UK.
The claim alleges that Google bypassed privacy settings on Apple iPhone handsets between August 2011 and February 2012 and used data to divide people into categories for advertisers.
Mr Lloyd claims “browser generated information” collected by Google included racial or ethnic origin, physical and mental heath, political affiliations or opinions, sexuality and sexual interests and social class.
It is also said that information about an individual’s financial situation, shopping habits and their geographical location were obtained and that the data was then aggregated and users were put into groups such as “football lovers” or “current affairs enthusiasts”.
Google data payout – are you eligible for compensation?
Here's what you need to know...
Consumer champion Richard Lloyd has created a for people who think they’re eligible for compensation from Google.
Those who are eligible are automatically enrolled into the case. Here are the criteria:
1. Were you in England and Wales at any time between June 1, 2011 and February 15, 2012?
2. Did you have an Apple ID?
3. Did you own or have lawful possession of an iPhone?
4. Did you use the Safari browser to access the internet?
5. Did you keep the default browser settings?
6. Did you not opt-out of tracking an collation via Google’s ‘Ads preference manager’?
7. Were you resident in England and Wales on May 31, 2017?
It is possible to opt out of the case if you want.
If compensation is awarded at a later stage, people will have to prove they were iPhone users between June 1, 2011 and February 15, 2012.
These were then offered to subscribing advertisers to choose from when deciding who to direct their marketing to, according to the claim.
Mr Lloyd’s lawyers told a High Court hearing in May 2018 that the data was gathered through “clandestine tracking and collation” of information relating to internet usage on iPhone users’ Safari browser – known as the “Safari Workaround”.
They also said the activity was exposed by a PhD researcher in 2012 and Google has already paid $39.5million (£32.1million) to settle claims in the United States.
Mr Lloyd’s application to serve notice of the legal action on Google outside the jurisdiction of England and Wales was refused by the High Court in October 2018.
But, following a challenge by Mr Lloyd, three judges at the Court of Appeal concluded the legal action can go ahead.
In a summary of the court’s ruling, Chancellor of the High Court Sir Geoffrey Vos said: “The claimants that Mr Lloyd seeks to represent will all have had their browser generated information (BGI) – something of value – taken by Google without their consent in the same circumstances during the same period.
“The represented class were all victims of the same alleged wrong, and had all sustained the same loss, namely loss of control over their BGI.”
Google had contended that the type of “representative action” being brought against it by Mr Lloyd is unsuitable and should not go ahead.
Lawyers for the Delaware-based company said there is no suggestion the Safari Workaround resulted in any information being disclosed to third parties.
Google said it will seek permission to appeal at the Supreme Court.
A spokeswoman for the tech firm said: “Protecting the privacy and security of our users has always been our number one priority.
“This case relates to events that took place nearly a decade ago and that we addressed at the time. We believe it has no merit and should be dismissed.”
In other news, cyber security researchers recently revealed that 4million Google Chrome users may have had their private photos and videos nicked.
Here’s how to see Google’s creepy map showing everywhere you’ve ever been – and how to turn it off.
And, Apple took a huge dig at Google and Amazon earlier this year with a giant data privacy billboard in Las Vegas.
Do you think you’re eligible for the payout? Let us know in the comments!
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