Google facing a lawsuit over Android location tracking

It appears that Google are to suffer the same troublesome press as Apple have of late, thanks to the discovery of an Android based tracking system, not too dissimilar to the one recently brought to light on the iPhone 4.

Two residents of Oakland County, Michigan in the US have taken Google Inc to court over claims that their Android based handsets recorded and stored location data unbeknownst to their owners. The plaintiffs state that their HTC Inspire 4Gs have been tracking their location data much like a, "tracking device for which a court-ordered warrant would ordinarily be required". They intend to represent other users who feel they have suffered under the same misdirection in a class-action lawsuit, looking for at least $50 million in damages and a mandatory requirement by Google to cease tracking location data on all their products.

A spokesman for Mountain View, California based Google; Chris Gaither refused to comment specifically on the lawsuit, but was stated that: "We provide users with notice and control over the collection, sharing and use of location data" adding, "Any location data that is send back to Google location servers is anonymized and is not tied or traceable to a specific user". Clearly this was with the intent of putting the minds of other Android users at rest.

With Apple's and now Google's location tracking secrets coming to light, are you having second thoughts about trusting companies like them with other personal data?

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