Mark Brnovich: Google is ‘systematically’ compiling data on Americans without ability to opt out
Arizona attorney general alleges that Google is violating Arizona’s Consumer Protection Act by engaging in unfair practices.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich joined "Justice with Judge Jeanine" on Saturday night to discuss his state’s ongoing lawsuit against Google.
The suit alleges that the tech giant has continued to collect location information even when users have turned tracking off.
"It’s as simple as this: We allege that Google is violating our Consumer Protection Act," Brnovich said. "What we have uncovered is Google systematically is collecting as much information about you and everyone else in this country without you having the ability to essentially opt out."
Recent revelations from the lawsuit showed that some of Google’s own employees had concerns about the company’s practices after a news report detailing the controversy was published.
"Essentially, every time you use your phone, they are tracking everything you’re doing. They’re collecting every amount of information," Brnovich said.
GOOGLE EMPLOYEES SHARED CONCERNS OVER LOCATION TRACKING, ARIZONA LAWSUIT REVEALS
"They essentially know more about where you’ve been than your spouse does, and more about where you’re going than a travel agency," he added.
Brnovich alleged that Google acts as an advertising company based on its revenue generation, and has "weaponized" its collection of information to manipulate search results.
Host Jeanine Pirro noted that the federal government has to get a court order or warrant for the same location information that Google has. Brnovich agreed.
"If I want to get a search warrant or track someone’s location ... I would have to get a warrant and get a judge to approve that. Google doesn’t," he said.
Google’s argument, Brnovich noted, is that by accepting "terms and conditions," users are agreeing to share their information.
"How easy is it to opt out?" Pirro asked.
"It’s almost impossible," Brnovich responded.
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"Even when people have opted out of location services, Google is still tracking. That’s what the internal documents show," he added.
"You may think you’re opting out, and you’re not."
In a statement to Fox News in response, a Google spokesperson said that the lawsuit mischaracterizes its services.
"The Attorney General and our competitors driving this lawsuit have gone out of their way to mischaracterize our services. We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data. We look forward to setting the record straight," said José Castañeda, a Google spokesperson
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