Court rules against Google

Google broke Australian law by misleading users about personal location data collected through Android mobile devices, a judge found Friday.

The Federal Court decision was a partial win for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the nation’s fair trade watchdog, which has been prosecuting Google for broader alleged breaches of consumer law since October 2019.

Google said it is considering an appeal to the full bench of the Federal Court. Google said the digital platform provides “robust controls for location data and are always looking to do more.”

The commission is seeking court orders and financial penalties against Google to be determined later.