Chrome Collects User Data Regardless of Consent
| Chrome Collects User Data Regardless of Consent | |
|---|---|
| Short Title | Google Records Chrome users’ Personal Data Regardless of User Consent |
| Location | United States |
| Date | |
| Solove Harm | Surveillance, Breach of Confidentiality, Exclusion, Secondary Use |
| Information | Behavioral, Identifying |
| Threat Actors | |
| Individuals | |
| Affected | Google chrome users |
| High Risk Groups | |
| Tangible Harms | |
Chrome browser was found to be collecting user data even when user didn't consent to it and even when a user doesn't have a Google account.
Description
In July 2020 a new class-action lawsuit accusing Chrome browser of recording and sending user data to Google servers was filed.
Chrome browser was found recording and sending users’ personal information to its servers regardless of whether the Chrome user has synced it on not. Surveillance
It is alleged that Google does so even if the Chrome user doesn’t have an account with Google.
Chrome browser sends user’s personal information such as IP addresses, cookie identifiers, and browsing history. Google uses an x-client-data identifier, which is sent from Chrome to Google every time users communicate online is not at all mentioned in any Chrome ToS or Privacy Policy. Surveillance Exclusion Secondary Use
The complaint also talks about an example of Breach of Confidentiality: Google is misrepresenting its privacy practices because some of the company’s third-party tracking cookies are “disguised” as first-party tracking cookies in order to “facilitate cookie syncing.”
The lawsuit says Google violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, Stored Communications Act, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986, the California Unfair Competition Law, the California Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, and the California Invasion of Privacy Act.
Laws and Regulations
§637.5. Invasion of Privacy.
Electronic Communications Privacy Act
Stored Communications Act
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986