Google could be forced to pay up to £750 in compensation to iPhone users in the UK if it loses a privacy battle that’s been escalated to the Supreme Court.
The legal battle – which has been described as one of the most significant legal cases in recent history, and a judgment of which is due to be handed down by the Supreme Court today – centres around allegations that the technology firm secretly tracked the online activity of millions of iPhone users in England and Wales, according to Sky News.
It comes after a man named Richard Lloyd – a former director of consumer group Which?- decided to sue Google for collecting web browsing data from iPhone users between 2011 and 2012, despite Google claiming at the time that it was prevented from doing so by the Safari browser’s default privacy settings.
Mr Lloyd alleges that Google ‘cookies’ collected information on 4.4 million iPhone users – who used the Safari web browser between 2011 and 2012 – and claims the company collected data on their health, race, ethnicity, sexuality and political affiliations.
This was even though the users had chosen a ‘do not track’ privacy setting.
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Judgment will be handed down on Wednesday 10 November at 9.45am in person and via video link in the case of Lloyd (Respondent) v Google LLC (Appellant) – UKSC 2019/0213https://t.co/h3j0LPe4xBpic.twitter.com/9zFx3PSFME
His allegations then go on to claim that this data was then used to group people into categories for advertising purposes, yet Google insists that no information was shared to third parties.
Mr Lloyd – who is backed by campaign group Google You Owe Us – hopes to win between £1 billion and £3 billion in compensation for alleged breaches of the Data Protection Act, and if he wins, the US technology giant could be forced compensate millions of affected iPhone users across the UK.
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Affected iPhone users could potentially claim a tariff of up to £750 in compensation, although it’s believed that a much lower figure is likely.
The case at hand was initially dismissed by the High Court after it ruled it was difficult to calculate how many people had been affected, or whether they had suffered losses, but that decision was eventually overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2019 following an appeal by Google appealed, and the case was subsequently escalated to the Supreme Court.
Mr Lloyd alleges that Google ‘cookies’ collected information on 4.4 million iPhone users between 2011 and 2012 in England and Wales / Credit: Pxfuel
Mr Lloyd said he brought the claim not just as an individual affected by Google’s actions, but as someone who’s representing over four million people.
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Jamie Curle – a partner at law firm DLA Piper – described the judgment as “one of the most eagerly awaited decisions of recent years”, and said it would have “a significant impact on the volume and nature of litigation in the data privacy arena”.
“All eyes will be on this Supreme Court judgment to help answer many of the open questions of law surrounding representative actions for data protection related claims,” added Ross McKean – a data protection partner at DLA Piper.
Featured Image – NurPhoto / Flickr
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‘Powerful’ new BBC documentary to tell the stories of the Southport victims’ families
Emily Sergeant
The BBC is set to tell the stories of the Southport attack victims’ families in a powerful new documentary airing next month.
The Southport attack was a tragedy that hit the nation like no other last summer, and the new hour-long documentary, titled Our Girls: The Southport Families, follows the parents of three young girls – nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe – who tragically lost their lives in the process.
Last summer, the three little girls had excitedly gone to a Taylor Swift-themed dance class – but tragically, they never came home.
Over the last nine months, a small team from the BBC followed the families’ journey through unimaginable grief and the beginnings of hope, and now their deeply personal interviews are to be shown alongside family footage shared for the first time.
Producers say the ‘moving’ documentary will show the joy the girls brought, and the legacies the parents are now building in their memory.
Set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in early December, viewers will get to watch as the parents plan to create lasting legacies in their daughters’ names – Alice’s Wonderdance, Bebe’s Hive, and Elsie’s Story.
It will also show the parents’ fundraising efforts to build a playground at the school attended by two of the girls, which they hope will become a space for ‘joy, remembrance, and community’.
“This inspirational film is a heartfelt tribute to Alice, Bebe and Elsie, told through the voices of those who knew and loved them most,” explained Richard Frediani, who is the Executive Editor at BBC Breakfast and BBC News.
“It is both heartbreaking and uplifting, a testament to the strength of three families united in grief and now driven by purpose to ensure their names are never forgotten.”
Sarah Campbell, who is a BBC News correspondent, added: “Our hope is that people will take from their story that it is possible to find light and humanity in the darkest of times.”
Our Girls: The Southport Families will air on BBC One on Tuesday 9 December at 8pm, and will later be available on iPlayer.
Featured Image – Merseyside Police
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NHS says it’s the busiest it has ever been heading into winter as ‘damaging’ strikes begin
Emily Sergeant
The NHS has claimed it’s currently the ‘busiest it has ever been’ as we head into the winter.
While it has been revealed that the health service’s waiting list is 230,000 lower than this time last summer, and down 15,845 compared to the previous month, figures released this week show that the NHS is ‘approaching its limit’ as we head into winter – with A&E, ambulances, and more all facing record demand.
As the colder months edge closer, and a likely spike in flu cases is expected in the coming weeks, the NHS says it’s the ‘busiest it has ever been’.
It also comes during what officials are describing as ‘damaging’ industrial action.
From Friday and into next week, some NHS services will be affected due to strike action. Please continue to come forward for NHS care.
If you need urgent medical help, use 111, and if it is a serious or life-threatening emergency, please call 999. pic.twitter.com/ym87CQ3CRR
Last month, both A&E attendances and ambulance incidents were at a record high for October, with A&E attendances at 37,000 higher than October 2024, equating to over 1,200 more attendances per day this October.
Ambulance incidents also jumped nearly 50,000 compared with October last year (806,441), the NHS has confirmed.
“It is fantastic news that the health service managed to get the waiting list down in September, but there’s no doubt NHS staff will be approaching their limits this winter,” commented Professor Meghana Pandit, who is the NHS National Medical Director.
The NHS says it’s the busiest it has ever been heading into winter amid ‘damaging’ strikes / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
“Flu is peaking early and looking like it will be long lasting, while industrial action comes on the back of the busiest October in A&E in NHS history.
“Staff continue to work incredibly hard and, as ever, the public can play their part.”
Despite the health service being stretched during this time, the public are still advised to attend any planned appointments that are scheduled during the ongoing strikes, unless they have been contacted to reschedule.
Primary and urgent and emergency care services will continue to be available for those who need them.
The public should use 111 online as the first port of call for urgent but not life-threatening issues during industrial action so that they can be directed to the best place for their needs, but patients who do need emergency medical care should continue to use 999 or come forward to A&E as normal.
The Manc -
10th November 2021 
