Google Claims it is Exempt from UK Privacy Laws


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Google has found itself at the centre of a landmark case that may set a precedent on how US Internet companies view and are affected by UK privacy laws.

 

A group of Brits are taking the Internet search giant to court over its web tracking practices. Google has been employing the use of a loophole in Apple?s Safari web browser to circumvent privacy settings in order to access and mine extra Internet history information. The practice has already seen Google fined $22.5 million in the United States by the FTC.

 

 

http://thebackbencher.co.uk/google-claims-it-is-exempt-from-uk-privacy-laws/

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I'm not a lawyer but I'd be very surprised if Google's defence stands up to any scrutiny.  There are already international precedents about legal jurisdiction and the internet (for instance, Gutnick vs Dow Jones) that would suggest that they don't have a leg to stand on and I suspect that they're just trying to slow the process down.

 

One thing's for sure though.  This is precisely the sort of shady business I'd expect Google to be involved in.

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Google has been employing the use of a loophole in Apple?s Safari web browser to circumvent privacy settings in order to access and mine extra Internet history information. The practice has already seen Google fined $22.5 million in the United States by the FTC.

 

Wow, and to think people defend Google and use their products. Shameful.

 

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i'd be the first one to attack google. especially considering their childishness over the windows phone.. but this is stupid. they aren't operating in the U.K. they are operating in the U.S. It's the people of the U.K. reaching across the ocean to reach American servers. if the U.K. or Europe In general doesn't like this then maybe they should remove google from their dns servers...

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i'd be the first one to attack google. especially considering their childishness over the windows phone.. but this is stupid. they aren't operating in the U.K. they are operating in the U.S. It's the people of the U.K. reaching across the ocean to reach American servers. if the U.K. or Europe In general doesn't like this then maybe they should remove google from their dns servers...

 

That might be true, if it was the .com server, but it's not, it's the .co.uk server and it serves up UK specific ads.  They operate offices in the UK, and they sell products in the UK.  They're doing business here, so they have to comply with our laws.

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i'd be the first one to attack google. especially considering their childishness over the windows phone.. but this is stupid. they aren't operating in the U.K. they are operating in the U.S. It's the people of the U.K. reaching across the ocean to reach American servers

 

Except they do operate in the UK and in 40 other countries around the world. They have no less than 3 offices here in London and 1 in Manchester. Link.

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i'd be the first one to attack google. especially considering their childishness over the windows phone.. but this is stupid. they aren't operating in the U.K. they are operating in the U.S. It's the people of the U.K. reaching across the ocean to reach American servers. if the U.K. or Europe In general doesn't like this then maybe they should remove google from their dns servers...

Nearly every major Internet company have offices spread all around the world.

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Wow, and to think people defend Google and use their products. Shameful.

 

Most companies do horrific things behind the scenes, doesn't stop me enjoying their products. I'd view employing practically slave labor to make products as worse than mining browser history, yet it doesn't stop me buying half my clothes and electronics. 

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i'd be the first one to attack google. especially considering their childishness over the windows phone.. but this is stupid. they aren't operating in the U.K. they are operating in the U.S. It's the people of the U.K. reaching across the ocean to reach American servers. if the U.K. or Europe In general doesn't like this then maybe they should remove google from their dns servers...

Did that argument work on the Chinese government, no.............will it work over here, no

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arachnoid, on 19 Aug 2013 - 13:56, said:

Did that argument work on the Chinese government, no.............will it work over here, no

 

great firewall of china. they blocked google just like what I recommended Europe do.

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Most companies do horrific things behind the scenes, doesn't stop me enjoying their products. I'd view employing practically slave labor to make products as worse than mining browser history, yet it doesn't stop me buying half my clothes and electronics. 

Yep, if we only knew what went on behind the scenes we'd probably be horrified.

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Wow, and to think people defend Google and use their products. Shameful.

 

Oh please, if no one used a companies products because of crap like this....MS would of been out of business a long time ago.

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Predictable :rolleyes:

 

No, it is called common sense.  A lot of companies are guilty of this kind of thing at some point and time.  Just people like to bash on the hot topic all the time and forget that the companies products they use were once guilty of the same things.  Just makes those people hypocrites.

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