Google Sued Over Android Location Tracking

Two women have sued Google for tracking their locations on their Android phones without consent.

After iPhones were revealed last week to be recording and storing data about users' locations, Google's Android phones were also shown to be performing a similar function--sending the name, location and strength of nearby Wi-Fi networks and a phone identifier back to Google.

"All location sharing on Android is opt-in by the user," a Google spokesperson told All Things D. "We provide users with notice and control over the collection, sharing and use of location in order to provide a better mobile experience on Android devices. Any location data that is sent back to Google location servers is anonymized and is not tied or traceable to a specific user."

The suit, filed on April 27, claims that the phones tracked them "just as if by a tracking device for which a court-ordered warrant would ordinarily be required." Both use HTC Inspire 4G phones.

The plaintiffs are seeking to turn the suit into a class-action lawsuit and want $50 million in damages, as well as a court order to stop Google from tracking users' devices. Apple was sued earlier this week for invasion of privacy and computer fraud.

Comments

[menschmaschine5]

02:22 PM on 04/29/2011

When you first set up an Android phone, it asks you if you want Google to track your location. These women don't actually have a case.

[gord111]

02:02 PM on 04/29/2011

Surely this phone also sexually harassed those women and possibly committed a hate crime. AMIRITE?

[Andrew Wojtkowski]

01:33 PM on 04/29/2011

Something tells me these women wouldn't know technology if it hit them over the head. And not because they're women... but because of how feigned this outrage is.

[liberalrepublic]

01:29 PM on 04/29/2011

what google is doin is worse than apple. as per skyhook guy google is not just doin tracking but also probing android devices even when no apps r running. that is serious shi$.

[ResearchtheFacts]

02:07 PM on 04/29/2011

Apple already has a much larger class action lawsuit launched against them last week but they conveniently failed to mention it on this site even though one of the complainants is from New York.  A judge has already ruled on the merits of their case.

[markand]

01:27 PM on 04/29/2011

And what about the little "Diamond" indicator on your cell? Remember when you could turn it off? And now, it's always on. Big Brother is watching, but nobody cares.

[Stefan Dembowski]

01:11 PM on 04/29/2011

It really does prompt you to opt in or not when you first activate it so I see this going no where...

[Mydian01]

12:15 PM on 04/29/2011

but.. but.. but.. apple

[ResearchtheFacts]

11:39 AM on 04/29/2011

What about your own lawsuit HP when will you report on the almost 10,000 bloggers suing you?  Did read about the apple lawsuit on this site either seeing you are in New York and a New York man is suing apple.

[gevan]

11:35 AM on 04/29/2011

Umm, how is your mobile phone going work if it doesn't know where you are?

[intellifran]

11:38 AM on 04/29/2011

Really? Mobile phones have worked just fine without tracking locations. if you're referring to the maps application I could understand how that would be necessary but that data should be destroyed and not stored.

[adrianrf]

02:45 PM on 04/29/2011

"have worked just fine without tracking locations".

sorry, you're flat wrong.

try googling for E911 regulations.

government regs now require wireless service providers to report calling phone locations by lat/long within 50-300 ft range.

though this was phased-in, with the preliminary approach using celltower triangulation, the only practical way to consistently accomplish the long-term stipulated performance was to put GPS onboard the phones.

which has happened in the last few years.

on all of them.

so: they're all "tracking locations" now (older models still in use aside).

[Stefan Dembowski]

01:12 PM on 04/29/2011

Easily as not many functions need GPS.

[PalletJack]

11:25 AM on 04/29/2011

Some folks are not only uninformed, but they're greedy as well.