Dutch consumers' group sues Google over privacy violations in data collection

The consumer association Consumentenbond filed a lawsuit against Google. According to the organization, the way in which the tech company collects people’s data violates privacy rules. The association wants Google to stop this and is also demanding compensation of 750 euros per user.

The Consumentenbond had announced the start of the claims procedure in May and threatened to go to court. It is now taking that step. According to the association, over 82,000 people have joined the damage claim.

The case revolves around advertising auctions. Google has advertising space on sites and sells it to advertisers, so people see ads when they visit a site. Placing those advertisements is fully automated and based on data collected through cookies. Thanks to cookies, Google knows that people are looking for a new car, for example.

The Consumentenbond is conducting the case together with the Foundation for the Protection of Privacy Interests. The foundation's chairman, Ada van der Veer, explained: “The Foundation has spoken to Google about all these matters, without results. It is now up to the judge to put a stop to Google’s practices.”

In March, the Amsterdam court agreed with the Consumentenbond that Facebook violated privacy law in the processing of Dutch personal data between 1 April 2010 and 1 January 2020. Facebook used personal data from the Netherlands without permission for advertising purposes, which is not allowed by law.