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
News
Appeal for information after serious bus-cyclist collision on Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
Police have launched an appeal for information following a serious road traffic collision on Deansgate, which has left a cyclist in critical condition.
Yesterday afternoon reports were made of a crash between a cyclist and a bus on the busy street in Manchester city centre.
The cyclist, who is a man in his 80s, has suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash, and remains in hospital in critical condition.
The crash took place on the junction of Bridge Street and Deansgate at around 12.30pm on Monday 2 November.
A large cordon was in place and Deansgate closed for several hours yesterday.
Police officers are now appealing for any witnesses who may have seen the moments leading up to this incident, or may have mobile phone or dashcam footage, to come forward.
No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information can contact police on 0161 856 4741 quoting the log number 1510 of 02.11.26. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Greater Manchester emergency services issue urgent safety warning ahead of Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
An urgent safety warning has been issued by emergency services ahead of Bonfire Night this week.
With Bonfire Night only a few days away now, and fireworks already starting to be let off across the region, Greater Manchester’s emergency services have, once again, come together to launch a campaign urging communities to be safe, and warn against attacking emergency service workers or taking part in anti-social behaviour.
Led by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), in partnership with Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and the region’s 10 local Councils, the Bang Out Of Order campaign highlights the consequences of anti-social behaviour.
Last year, incidents of anti-social behaviour relating to nuisance from fireworks rose by 2% – with 1,020 cases recorded, while attacks on firefighters also sadly increased.
An urgent safety warning has been issued by emergency services ahead of Bonfire Night / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
935 fires were also started deliberately between 1 September and 10 November last year, while 767 hoax calls were made to the police and fire service within the same time period.
GMFRS has now issued an urgent safety warning.
Matt Hamer, Director for Community Safety and Training, said: “The Bonfire Night period is one of the busiest times of the year for our emergency services, and we want everyone to enjoy the celebrations safely and responsibly.
“We strongly encourage people to attend organised firework displays and bonfire events wherever possible. If you are planning your own celebrations, it is essential that you follow the Firework Code and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and those around you.
“Deliberately setting fires, misusing fireworks or attacking emergency service workers is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences. Our firefighters are there to protect communities and should never face abuse, violence or intimidation while carrying out their duties.
The Manc -
10th November 2021 
