The ACCC is suing Google for misleading millions. But calling it out is easier than fixing it
This week, the ACCC announced it was suing Google. In this crossposting from The Conversation, Katharine Kemp argues that the litigation, even if it’s successful, won’t be enough to properly limit the tech giant’s use of consumers’ data.
Australia’s consumer watchdog is suing Google for allegedly misleading millions of people after it started tracking them on non-Google apps and websites in 2016.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says Google’s pop-up notification about this move didn’t let users make an informed choice about the increased tracking of their activities.
Google uses some of this data in its targeted advertising business. It can also collect sensitive information about us from third-party websites and apps which it may use in its non-advertising businesses.
About time. Not only do they ‘borrow’ copy, they access data to sell advertising. Time to throw the book.
On Saturday morning we inspected a property for sale, I had my iPhone with me and looked up the address on Google of both the agent (and the property as it was in a side street and difficult to find). Saturday night I played Candy Crush on my iPad and the first ad that popped up was for the same small real estate agent and a new property for sale – coincidence? I don’t think so, both the iPhone and iPad are linked but Google are clearly collecting more than just data.