Alphabet hit with Austrian privacy complaint over alleged browser tracking
Alphabet's Google faces a complaint from Austrian advocacy group NOYB for allegedly tracking users of its Chrome Web browser. This issue is already under the radar of EU antitrust regulators.
The U.S. tech giant is in the process of phasing out third-party cookies that advertisers use to track consumers in order to safeguard consumer privacy.
Google has introduced a set of tools known as the Privacy Sandbox, which aims to block covert tracking techniques and restrict data sharing with third parties. Meanwhile, developers and publishers are able to measure ads without tracking individual users.
Within Chrome, users are prompted to decide whether to activate the ad privacy feature as a means to prevent being tracked.
Privacy Complaint
NOYB (none of your business) argues that the feature within Chrome enables Google to track users, emphasizing that the company should obtain users' consent as mandated by European Union privacy regulations.
Founder of NOYB, Max Schrems, stated, "People thought they were agreeing to a privacy feature, but were tricked into accepting Google's first-party ad tracking. Consent must be informed, transparent, and fair to be considered legal. Google has done the exact opposite."
As a response, NOYB has lodged a complaint with the Austrian data protection authority.
Defense by Google
A spokesperson from Google defended the company's stance, highlighting the efforts made to enhance privacy protection for individuals.
The spokesperson stated, "This complaint fails to recognize the significant privacy protections we've built into the Privacy Sandbox APIs, including the Topics API, and the meaningful privacy improvement they provide over today's technologies, including third-party cookies."
Google emphasizes that the Privacy Sandbox is designed to enhance user privacy and offer privacy-preserving alternatives to cross-site tracking. The company remains engaged with privacy and competition regulators globally to achieve a balanced outcome beneficial for users and the ecosystem.
In the meantime, NOYB has been active in filing numerous complaints against big tech companies with EU and national privacy watchdogs for alleged privacy breaches.
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