Google, the American multinational technology company specializing in internet related services, is into news again. And this time it is bad news. A group of European consumer monitoring team have recently filed a complaint of privacy against Google stating that the company is tracking web users by manipulative tactics. They are filing the complaint under a new data protection configuration, GDPR by the EU. GDPR regulates the use of data to impose major fines in lieu of breach of agreement. This compliance breach is reported to be 4% of an industry’s global turnover at an annual basis.
As per the complaint, Norway’s Consumer Council and other such groups’ stated that Google has been tracking down its users through their “Web and application activity”, and “location history”. In addition, the company has no proper legal basis to do that. These settings are integrated in all accounts of Google which becomes a necessity and cannot be avoided or skipped. On the other hand, the operating system of Google mobile remains dominant in all smartphone platforms worldwide.
Advertising and Marketing Companies Acquire Manipulative Tactics to Expand Business
Google is accused of processing all personal information, including current location, without any legal grounds. This data is acquired through manipulative techniques. Mobile phones being an integral part of our lives act as a tracker against us. Google keeps track of where we go, which websites we visit often, and what kind of search engines we view. All this information is then passed on to advertisers who then target us with their marketing techniques when we are most vulnerable.
In response to the accusation, Google clearly replied that” location history” is tracked for better of the user in terms of traffic and other such valuable information. It could be turned off as and when any user wants and the only reason behind the tracking down idea is to provide better services to its users.
