Google Argues $4.3 Billion Privacy Lawsuit Was Resolved 'Over Six Years Ago'

Google claims that the lawsuit currently filed in a UK court is about a privacy issue that had been resolved “over six years ago.”

In 2017, the multinational tech company is slammed with another lawsuit in the United Kingdom alleging that it had violated its users’ privacy. Losing the case might require Google to pay up to $4.3 billion in damages.

According to CNET, Google’s lawyers arrived at a UK court on Monday to present their arguments. In a statement provided to the same publication, Google UK communications director Tom Price said, "This case relates to events that took place over six years ago and that we addressed at the time. We believe it has no merit and should be dismissed."

The said lawsuit was filed by the group Google You Owe Us in 2017 who claims, as can be read on their official website, that the company “took millions of iPhone users’ personal information illegally in 2011 and 2012.”

The group alleges Google of working around the default privacy settings of Safari web browser and “tracked internet browsing history.” Google is further accused of using the collected data “to sell a targeted advertising service” from which, the group noted, Google has earned $80 billion in 2016.

According to Google You Owe Us, around 5.4 million people were affected by the privacy issue within 2011 to 2012. However, CNET reported that the group is currently joined by 4.4 million individuals represented in the lawsuit by Richard Lloyd.

Meanwhile, people may also recall that the same privacy concern has been raised in the United States in 2012. The issue was also taken to court in the same year and resulted to a $17 million-worth of settlement. The “Safari Workaround” case had also landed Google a fine of $22.5 million to the Federal Trade Commission, which was referred to as a “record setting penalty” by Jon Leibowitz, the FTC Chairman at the time.