Google is Facing Yet Another Lawsuit for Chrome’s Data Collection

A class action lawsuit alleging that Google collected user data from its Chrome browser without proper consent has been given the go-ahead to proceed. The lawsuit, initially filed in 2020, centers around claims that Google gathered data from Chrome users even when they had not activated the Chrome sync feature.

Chrome sync allows users to store browsing data, such as bookmarks, passwords, and open tabs, to their Google accounts, making this information accessible across multiple devices. However, the lawsuit contends that Google collected this data regardless of whether users had opted into this synchronization feature.

Google had successfully argued for the lawsuit’s dismissal in 2022, with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruling that users had consented to the data collection by agreeing to the company’s privacy policy. However, the case has taken a new turn with a recent decision by Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. Judge Smith overturned the previous dismissal, stating that Judge Gonzalez Rogers failed to adequately consider whether users genuinely understood the terms of Google’s privacy policy.

The judge said:

Google had a general privacy disclosure yet promoted Chrome by suggesting that certain information would not be sent to Google unless a user turned on sync.

However, Google seems to disagree with this ruling according to a statement shared by a company spokesperson José Castañeda who said:

We disagree with this ruling and are confident the facts of the case are on our side. Chrome Sync helps people use Chrome seamlessly across their different devices and has clear privacy controls.

Although Google recently revealed plans to allow users access to saved browsing information without requiring them to enable Chrome sync. This move, according to Castañeda, is independent of the ongoing lawsuit and should not be interpreted as a response to the legal challenge.