A class action lawsuit has been filed in British Columbia’s Supreme Court against Google in respect of millions of Canadians that Google collects and profits for their private information without their consent. This action is part of a well coordinated national effort extrs filings in Montreal and Toronto.
The action involves data gathered by Google Services and via Google Ads and Google Analytics that are installed on over half of worldwide websites. The claim alleges that Google infringes on users’ devices by forwarding code to their computers, tablets, or smartphones when they navigate any of these thousands of websites or services.
The code allegedly compels users’ computers or smartphones to send users’ personal information like name, gender, and location, what they’ve typed into Google, their IP address, their device and the site they’re visiting to Google secretly. According the allegation, this reveals sensitive personal details like marital and parental status, income bracket and sexual orientation.
Google uses this information to extract profiles of almost all users of internet. The claim also alleges that Google uses some of this information to target advertising without the knowledge or consent of the users in violation of Canadian laws that safeguard privacy and personal interests.
The proposed class is represented by a team Canadian law firms like Branch MacMaster LLP, Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman LLP, British Columbia’s Arvay Finlay LLP, Ontario’s Foreman & Company and Belleau Lapointe in Quebec. Also, the team includes David Loukidelis QC Law Corporation and Greg McMullen Law.
While talking about the claim, Luciana P. Brasil, partner at Branch MacMaster LLP said: “The claim alleges that Google turns Canadians’ electronics into tracking devices, which it uses to build profiles on almost every Internet user in Canada; even people Google has no relationship with, all without their consent. There is no reason Canadians should tolerate what we say is extensive surveillance of their daily online activities, especially because Canada has laws specifically intended to protect them from such actions.”
“The claim also alleges that Google violates consumer protection and competition laws by misrepresenting its privacy and data practices.
“Google tells its users that they have a choice about how Google uses their information, but we don’t believe that users have a choice about whether or not Google collects their information in the first place,” said Reidar Mogerman QC, partner at Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman LLP. “The claim alleges this is misleading advertising and is a direct violation of consumer protection law.”
The claim is demanding compensation for breach of privacy, trespass, and consumer protection violations, and other causes of action. It also demands an order that qill prevent Google from carrying on with these practices.
In the same vein, Jonathan Foreman, partner at Foreman & Company said: “Internet-based companies doing business in Canada have to follow Canadian privacy, competition and consumer protection laws. This case aims to rein in what we say is rampant collection of personal information and to make sure Canadians’ privacy rights are protected.”
