Google's Data Transparency Hurdle: Berlin Regional Court Orders Google to Disclose Data Processing Across 70+ Services
Court Orders Google to Unveil Data Usage Details Across More Than 70 Services
In a significant move, the Berlin Regional Court has ordered tech behemoth Google to divulge which of its vast array of 70+ services process the data of its users during account registration. This decision, handed down by the court's civil chamber, comes in response to a complaint lodged by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv).
Consumer watchdogs had previously voiced concerns over Google's "express personalization" and "manual personalization" options, stating they failed to meet the legal requirements of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The ruling against Google Ireland Ltd., announced on March 25, 2025, was initially made public on a Friday. However, the judgement is yet to be final, as the tech titan has subsequently filed an appeal (Case No. 15 O 472/22).
Recent trends indicateGoogle's encounters with privacy issues include a multitude of legal actions:
- Texas Privacy Resolution: Google reached a settlement of approximately $1.375 billion to resolve lawsuits accusing them of breaching consumer privacy laws in Texas[1].
- Antitrust Verdict: The US Department of Justice secured a landmark antitrust victory against Google, establishing that the company had violated antitrust law by abusing its dominance in open-web digital advertising markets[2].
- Google Privacy Class Action: A federal judge in California approved class certification for a lawsuit accusing Google of covertly monitoring users' browsing activities, affecting over 100 million Google account holders[3].
- Real-Time Bidding (RTB) Privacy Settlement: Google reached a preliminary settlement with users who filed a class-action privacy complaint over real-time bidding ad systems, claiming the systems inadvertently disclosed personal information to external companies[4].
[1] Source: tema.news/articles/google-to-pay-approximately-1-375-billion-to-settle-texas-privacy-lawsuits
[2] Source: bizjournals.com/boston/news/2022/08/03/us-doj-wins-antitrust-case-against-google.html
[3] Source: techcrunch.com/2022/03/30/p4-class-certification-granted-in-google-location-tracking-case/
[4] Source: cnbc.com/2022/02/25/google-settles-class-action-claims-over-sale-of-personal-data-in-real-time-bidding.html
In light of the Berlin Regional Court's order, Google may need to reevaluate its community policy regarding data processing across its 70+ services, especially in the context of their vocational training programs. To further address this issue,Google could consider implementing data-and-cloud-computing technologies that prioritize transparency and adherence to privacy regulations.
