US: DC, 3 states sue Google saying it invades users' privacy
Washington, Jan 25: The District of Columbia and three states are suing Google for allegedly deceiving consumers and invading their privacy by making it nearly impossible for them to stop their location from being tracked.
In the lawsuit filed Monday in a Washington court, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine alleges Google has systematically deceived consumers about how their locations are tracked and used. He also says the internet search giant has misled users into believing they can control the information the company collects about them.
In reality, consumers who use Google products cannot prevent Google from collecting, storing and profiting from their location, the lawsuit says. Google has "an unprecedented ability to monitor consumers' daily lives.
Google makes it impossible for users to opt out of having their sensitive and valuable location data tracked, the suit alleges.
The attorneys general of Texas, Indiana and Washington state are filing similar lawsuits in their state courts, according to Racine's office.
Google's business model relies on constant surveillance of its users, his office said in a news release. The suit asserts that Google has a powerful financial incentive to obscure the details of its location-data collection and to make it difficult for consumers to opt out. It says location data is a key part of its digital advertising business that generated 150 billion in revenue for Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc. in 2020.
The company, based in Mountain View, California, is disputing the claims.
The attorneys general are bringing a case based on inaccurate claims and outdated assertions about our settings," Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in a statement. "We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data.
The company will defend itself and "set the record straight, Castaneda said.
The lawsuit is the latest in a raft of legal salvos against the tech giant, whose search engine accounts for an estimated 90% of web searches worldwide.
In December 2020, 10 states led by Texas filed a federal suit against Google accusing it of anticompetitive conduct in the online advertising industry, including a deal to manipulate sales with rival Facebook.
In October 2020, the U.S. Justice Department joined by 11 states filed a landmark antitrust suit against Google for allegedly abusing its dominance in online search and advertising.
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Two wanted men held after shootout with police in Delhi's Dwarka
New Delhi (PTI): Two men accused in an attempt to murder case in southwest Delhi's Chhawla area were apprehended after a shootout, an official said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Rocky (22) and Sumit alias Koki (24), were allegedly involved in an attempt to murder on April 17, he said.
According to police, the incident involved two assailants arriving on a motorcycle, with one of them allegedly attempting to fire at the complainant from close range. However, the weapon malfunctioned, and the duo fled the spot.
Acting on specific inputs, a police team intercepted the suspects near the Urban Extension Road (UER) at around 5.35 am when they were riding a motorcycle.
When asked to surrender, Rocky allegedly opened fire at the police team and discharged three rounds. One of the bullets struck the bulletproof vest of a head constable, narrowly missing him.
"The police team retaliated in controlled self-defence, firing three rounds and injuring Rocky below his left knee. He was subsequently overpowered after a brief scuffle," a senior police officer said.
Sumit alias Koki, who was riding the motorcycle, was also apprehended at the spot with a loaded weapon and a live cartridge, police added.
The injured accused was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. The police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the motive behind the attack and to identify any other persons involved in the conspiracy.
