According to statements and intercepted email chains, Google has hidden location settings on Android devices to prevent users from turning them off. This is clear from a lawsuit against the company taking place in Arizona.
In August 2018, Google suffered one of the worst revelations regarding its handling of personal data: despite turning off location history, the company continued to collect the location of users. Web search, weather forecast query or through third party applications: Google also stored the information relating to the whereabouts of the person.. In view of the outcry that has arisen, several complaints have been filed against the company; like the one performed by the Arizona attorney general. Now the trial summary is revealed.
“Google admits location-related metrics are misleading and misleading ‘mess’
Google position history As Business Insider details, a judge ordered that the summary be declassified regarding the lawsuit filed by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich against Google. In this summary, you can read all the interventions that took place during the hearings as well as the full summary of the lawyer. Yes the prosecution’s conclusions resonate, here is how they are detailed verbatim.
Google knew that Google Account location settings were hidden, messy and misleading, also that they were very difficult to deactivate. This is specified in the declassified documentation; which was collected through reports and emails from Google employees.
“In fact, Google has known for years that the user experience it designed is misleading and misleading users. The evidence obtained within Google, such as internal emails, presentations and memos, is overwhelming in this regard.“.
“Currently, device usage and diagnostic data collection are distributed in 5 configurations; resulting in conditions that are difficult for Google employees to understand, let alone for users“.
The lawsuit collects notable inside information in addition to statements from various Google employees. As it was overturned in the case against the company, Even top Google officials didn’t know about on-premises storage mechanisms.
“Even senior Google employees don’t understand under what conditions Google collects location data“.
Following the publication of the Associated Press article referring to Google’s collection location even though users have specifically disabled the setting, the company sounded the alarmThis is how the summary records. In fact, Google CEO Sundar Pichai himself established the “ yellow code ” due to the controversy surrounding privacy.
Google has tried to convince manufacturers and operators to hide location settings on their Android devices. The summary reports particular pressure on LG
Google ended up bringing together all the localization tools within the activity controls, in a redesigned section dedicated to the management of the Google account. This movement, the result of the controversy after the publication of the Associated Press article, has improved the control that users have over what we share with Google; a change that was boosted by the entry into force of the European GDPR.
More information | Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich
Via | Business intern
