Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK Supreme Court ruling could see four million iPhone users paid £750 each

UK Supreme Court ruling could see four million iPhone users paid £750 each

A judgment by the Supreme Court on Wednesday could see every iPhone owner in England and Wales compensated by up to £750, after Google was sued for covertly collecting web-browsing data from users between 2011 and 2012.

UPDATE: The UK Supreme Court has granted Google’s appeal against a planned £3.2 billion British class action over allegations that the tech giant illicitly collected data from iPhone users, despite assurances to the contrary.

The Supreme Court will imminently share its verdict on one of the most significant class-action cases in modern legal history: Lloyd v Google LLC. Consumer-rights advocate Richard Lloyd is suing the tech giant for collecting web-browsing data from iPhone users between 2011 and 2012. In its defence, Google claims it was unable to harvest the data because of default privacy settings on Apple’s default web browser, Safari.

A decade ago, Google was deemed to have placed advertising-tracking cookies on Safari web browsers, despite assuring users they would be automatically opted out of data-harvesting. At the time, it claimed it had not intended for its tech to bypass the default security settings on the Safari browser, describing the infringement as accidental. That information, it was alleged, allowed Google to deduce users’ age, gender, interests, habits, political views and financial position and thereby categorise and target advertising to them accordingly.

Lloyd, the former executive director of consumer-choice publication Which? Magazine, launched the legal suit in 2017 on behalf of the four million iPhone users in England and Wales he alleges were affected. He maintains that if he wins, the tech giant could be forced to pay out billions in compensation, with each iPhone user eligible for up to £750 ($1,014).

As Google is a US-based company, Lloyd applied to serve the claim in the UK. After an initial refusal from the High Court, the Court of Appeal said that, while the claim was “unusual” for being an “opt-out” US-style class action, rather than an opt-in UK-style action on behalf of a group of named individuals, it was acceptable, given it was claimed all the alleged victims of the purported wrongdoing had suffered the same loss.

Legal experts contend that, should Lloyd win, the verdict could represent a landmark. Speaking in 2019, Mishcon de Reya, the lawyers representing the claimant, described the appeals court’s move as “ground-breaking”, as it “confirms a number of important legal principles under data protection law.”

Jamie Curle, a partner at law firm DLA Piper, told Sky News the verdict was “one of the most eagerly awaited decisions of recent years.”

Google is no stranger to large fines. In September, it announced plans to challenge a €500 ($591) million fine imposed on it by the French competition authority. The internet giant was accused of not having respected copyright rules.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Britain's Online Safety Law Sparks Outcry Over Privacy, Free Speech, and Mass Surveillance
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
×