December 12, 2022
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced on Friday that a court dismissed its lawsuit against Google, alleging that consumers were led astray about the expansive use of private information for targeted advertising.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission initiated the litigation in July 2020, alleging Google did not obtain full permission from users regarding a modification that occurred in 2016 that merged personal information in Google accounts with activity on non-Google sites that use its technology to display advertisements.
In a ruling issued last week, the court determined that consumer notifications and changes to Google’s privacy policy to broaden the scope of its collection and use of personal data were not misleading because the company asked for users’ consent and only implemented changes if it was given fully.
It also stated that Google’s updated privacy policy did not limit users’ rights. Meanwhile, ACCC acting chair Delia Rickard stated it will now “carefully consider the judgment”.
The Federal Court, on the other hand, determined that the notification allowing users to accept policy changes was not misleading because Google “only implemented the steps with their (users’) informed consent,” according to the regulator.
“The court also noted that Google did not reduce account holders rights under the privacy policy.”
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.
