Max Schrems, an Austrian privacy activist, has filed a complain against tech giant Google in France accusing the company of illegally tracking Android phone users.
Android phones generate unique advertising codes, similar to Apple’s Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), that allow Google and third parties to track users’ browsing behaviour in order to better target them with advertising, revealed Financial Times.
“Through these hidden identifiers on your phone, Google and third parties can track users without their consent,” said a privacy lawyer at Noyb, Max’ campaign group.
“It is like having powder on your hands and feet, leaving a trace of everything you do on your phone — from whether you swiped right or left to the song you downloaded,” he added.
Europe has a little over 300 million Android smartphone users. Noyb chose to approach the French data watchdog because its legal system is well suited to handling complaints under the European ePrivacy Directive, the Financial Times reported.
