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Google Germany turns 20: The expert is divided - "Lawsuits are de facto hopeless"

2021-10-13T06:51:01.216Z


Google opened its first office in Germany 20 years ago. The criticism from privacy advocates has grown louder since then. A lawyer explains how the company deals with private information.


Google opened its first office in Germany 20 years ago.

The criticism from privacy advocates has grown louder since then.

A lawyer explains how the company deals with private information.

Munich - How much is Google allowed to know about its users - and what happens to all the data that people leave behind while surfing?

Marco Blocher is a lawyer at the data protection association Noyb (None of your Business) in Vienna.

The organization specializes in data protection lawsuits against large corporations such as Facebook and Google.


Mr Blocher, 20 years of Google in Germany - a curse or a blessing?

There are two sides to the coin.

About 90 percent of German search queries go through Google.

Such a large market power is always problematic, especially because Google collects far more data than would be necessary for the operation of its services.

At the same time, Maps is a wonderful tool *.

The question for me is not whether there should be certain Google services, but how these are specifically designed.

So whether data protection is taken into account - or circumvented as far as possible.

At the moment the latter is the case.

What data does Google collect?

That is hard to say.

It is partly in the data protection declarations, but you cannot be sure whether the group will adhere to them.

It is important that Google has two pillars: Services like Gmail or Youtube are for private users.

However, tools such as Google Analytics are used by almost all commercial websites.

So Google can learn something about Internet users in many places, regardless of whether they are Google customers or not.

What is Google doing with the data?

Two things: The user data improves services.

This can of course be in the interests of the user.

At the same time, through the constant recording and analysis of user behavior, conclusions can be drawn about buying interests, for example.

This knowledge is worth billions of euros for the advertising industry.

User-friendly programs and relevant advertising - doesn't that sound bad at all?

Such a concentration of data is dangerous.

The product range is very broad, Google can possibly know when we are going where, when we are writing with whom and what we are looking for on the Internet.

That's scary.

Also, don't forget: Google is based in California * and is therefore subject to US security laws.

They force Google to transmit user data to secret services such as the NSA upon request.

What rights do German users have?

The General Data Protection Regulation applies in the EU.

According to the, users have the right to information, correction and deletion of their data.

A very powerful law, but one that is lacking in enforcement.

Because Google has its European headquarters in Ireland *.

Therefore, the Irish Data Protection Authority is responsible for all complaints.

However, this is characterized by an enormously slow enforcement of the law.

Proceedings against Google are currently de facto futile.

Interview: Matthias Schneider * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-10-13

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