Arizona alleges Google tracked users even if feature was turned off

Arizona’s attorney general has filed suit against Google, alleging that the tech giant violated a state consumer fraud statute by claiming falsely that apps would not store users’ location data if a user opted out of that feature.

The Associated Press reported that Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) alleged in court documents that Google’s user interface is “misleading” and incorrectly explains to users that their location data will not be stored by apps if the “location history” feature is turned off.

“Though Google claims to have obtained consent to collect and store its users’ data, that consent is based on a misleading user interface, as well as other unfair and deceptive acts and practices,” the court documents read.

“Every company has a responsibility to be truthful to consumers,” Brnovich reportedly added. “You cant deceive them, you can’t make misrepresentations.”

Arizona’s attorneys reportedly also argue that Google changed privacy settings without notifying users. A Google spokesman denied Arizona’s claims in a statement to the AP, claiming that Brnovich had misrepresented Google’s features.

“We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data,” Jose Castaneda told the AP. “We look forward to setting the record straight.”

A request for further comment from The Hill was not immediately returned.

The AP previously reported in 2018 that some apps including Google Maps store snapshots of users’ location data even if the “location history” option is not selected on a device’s settings page.