Google has been fined nearly ₱24 billion (425 million USD) by a US federal jury after it was found to have collected information from smartphone apps even when users had their privacy settings turned on.
According to the plaintiffs' lawyers, Google continues to intercept, track, and sell data from app usage, even when people choose not to share their information.
The company said the decision was wrong because it provides privacy tools that control users' data. They added that when personalization is turned off, they respect users' choices. They also plan to appeal the ruling.
The case is part of ongoing pressure against Google over privacy and cookies, which are used in online ads. Cookies are small files that record users' online activity and are crucial to the profits of big tech companies.
Recently, Google was also fined ₱19 billion (325 million euros) for placing cookies without explicit consent from users. This is the third time the company has been penalized in relation to data privacy.
