By 2018 , Google mastered the art of obscuring secrecy scene to the grade that even some Google employees did n’t know how location privacy configurations process , according to an Arizona consumer fraudlawsuit(now with fewer redaction ) shows . As the Arizona Mirrorfirst noticed , the complaint bear messages between Googlers ventilate that the troupe ’s privacy options are — even for the exact people most likely to understand them — a “ deal . ”
The suit , charge in May , aver that Google had violated Arizona ’s Consumer Fraud Act on numerous counts , using “ deceptive and unjust patronage recitation ” to gather drug user ’ information and location data point . A 2018 Associated Pressreportprompted the state - level inquiry after it found that some Google apps still collected location data after exploiter had turn Location History off . That was intelligence to sure Googlers , whose reactions have now become part of the public record thanks to testimonies and inner documents :
“ sum me to the lean of Googlers who did n’t understand how this worked an [ sic ] was surprised when I read the article ”
Image: Graeme Jennings (Getty Images)
“ Although I know it play and what the difference between ‘ Location ’ and ‘ locating History ’ is , I did not roll in the hay that Web and App activity had anything to do with location . ”
“ by all odds confusing from a drug user point of view if we need googlers [ to ] explain it to us . ”
“ I agree with the clause . Location off should mean location off , not except for this casing or that case . ”
While we do n’t get laid the precise response from Google ’s c - cortege at the time , it credibly could be summarized as “ oh shit ! ” We can proffer this bit of informed speculation because internalemails tack on as evidencereference a “ Monday morning ‘ Oh whoreson ’ confluence ” the same Clarence Shepard Day Jr. the AP write their investigation .
The investigation also impart that Google ’s WiFi place setting misguide users to believe that they ’re toggling off WiFi scanning ; that Google still targets advertizement using location data even when users have turn off ad personalization ; and that Google apps with location permission turned off can clandestinely gather localization information from other Google apps .
The Arizona Attorney General ’s investigation take to have discovered “ overwhelming ” evidence from presentations , memoranda , and internal emails proving that Google had fuck its practices were mislead “ for eld . ” It quotes more Googlers ( timeframe obscure ) as aver :
“ The current UI feels like it is designed to make things possible , yet hard enough that people wo n’t visualise it out . ”
“ Some people ( including even Googlers ) do n’t bang that there is a planetary switch and a per - gimmick switch . ”
“ So our messaging around [ location trailing ] is enough to confuse a privacy focused Google - SWE . That ’s not honest . ”
While Googlehas foughtto keep much of the ill frame and grounds under seal , Google tells Gizmodo that they ’re protect proprietary information , per standard practice . ( A audience at the end of the month will set whether the residual of the complaint will remain unredacted . )
And then Google float two wild asseveration undermining the lustiness of the investigating : it reprise the caller ’s antecedently allege discovery that Google ’s competitor , Oracle , encouraged the investigation . The company also claimed that the Attorney General ’s investigation is being led by contingency fee attorney , something the AG ’s office staff denied .
“ [ Arizona ] Attorney General Brnovich desire all companies , include Google , to play by the rule , ” a spokesperson say Gizmodo . “ It does n’t count if you ’re a major tech party or belittled railway car machinist ; if you assault consumer fraud law , the Arizona Attorney General ’s office will sharply go after you . ”
Damage control and potential corporate sabotage away , the item of the AP report which triggered the investigation is that public - facing “ transparency ” features and mealy - mouthed promise about respecting users often misrepresent the CRO of data appeal . As my colleague and seclusion guru Shoshana Wodinsky haspointed out , Google gets to say that it ’s GDPR - compliant by allowing Android users to opt in to sharing data , whilst smokescreening critical data about what they ’re opting into . ( Google was first on the list of major companies aim by the European secrecy law , with a$57 million mulct . ) Google alsogets to saythat it does n’t snoop on the substance your Gmail messages , though it does track advert links you tick on from within your inbox . Google might set your thinker at ease with a Chrome updatethat blocksthird party from tracking your browsing story , which does harbour your data from intruder , but it wo n’t necessarily shield you from Google itself .
The potential for what could be fin is extraordinarily broad . The Arizona Attorney General ’s part has cited a laundry list of violations of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act in Google ’s advertizing practices , principally around location data , and they take that the company “ disgorge all net , gains , gross receipts , and other benefits obtained by means of any unlawful practice . ” It ’s unclear how a court might drag the line from shoddy localisation practices ( each unwanted locating ping ? ) and profit ( all advertizement revenue ? ) , and Google might drag them through thehair - splitting argumentthat it does n’t sell information , though their winnings gained from deliver it would explain why they need it so badly .
LikeApple and Facebook , Google has of late need an belligerent pro - privacy stancein public . But in camera , Google has little incentive to codify its professed ideals into its business model . The vast majority Google ’s gross ( last class , that map $ 134 billion ) comes from advertizement , which has become , thanks largely to Google , the business of collect data to ok - melodic line targeting . It ’s in Google ’s good interest to give increasingly concerned users ( and evenvocalGooglers ) an fanciful shield against the lusus naturae of its own making .
ALPHABETGooglePrivacy
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