A new legal dispute accuses the technology company Google of systematically collecting data from pupils in the USA without parental consent and using it for commercial purposes. The allegation is that children who have to use Chromebooks and digital Google services at school are made identifiable online through hidden tracking methods such as browser fingerprinting, even without cookies - across all websites.
The statement of claim criticises the fact that minors in the education sector have no choice but to opt out of this data collection. Parental consent is required by law, but does not take place. Instead, Google relies on blanket contracts with schools that cannot replace parental rights.
The legal accusations are serious: violation of data protection rights at federal and constitutional level, disregard for child protection and wiretapping laws as well as unauthorised enrichment through the analysis of personal information. Google's non-transparent information policy is also criticised: relevant information on the use of data is distributed in an incomprehensible manner and is barely comprehensible for families.
According to the complaint, data collection is used to create detailed profiles about children - with the aim of influencing their behaviour and placing targeted advertising. This happens unnoticed, without any possibility of control and violates fundamental personal rights. The plaintiffs are demanding a trial with a jury, compensation for damages and far-reaching measures to stop these practices.
Source: www.heise.de