A group of Safari web browser users in the UK is demanding damages over allegations that Google by-passed security settings to track their movements on the web.
The Safari Users Against Google's Secret Tracking group claims that the Search giant installed cookies in order to monitor users activity, without disclosure, enabling the company to cash in on targeted ads.
Google, which was fined a whopping $22.5m (£14.5m) in the United States for the same offence last July, had assured Safari users that this wasn't the case, during the alleged period between summer 2011 and spring 2012.
Now the protesters, represented by UK law firm Olswang, say Google betrayed the trust of Safari users and want compensation, full disclosure and an apology.
Explain yourselves, Google!
Dan Tench, a Partner at Olswang, said: "Google has a responsibility to consumers and should be accountable for the trust placed in them. We hope that they will take this opportunity to give Safari users a proper explanation about what happened, to apologise and, where appropriate, compensate the victims of their intrusion."
Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch said the incident "was no accident" and accused Google of tracking people "when they had explicitly said they did not want to be tracked."
Director Nick Pickles added: "It's no surprise to see consumers who believe their privacy had been steamrollered by corporate greed seeking redress through the courts."
Google is yet to comment on the allegations.
Via BBC
