Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

UK Supreme Court ruling could see four million iPhone users paid £750 each

UK Supreme Court ruling could see four million iPhone users paid £750 each

A judgment by the Supreme Court on Wednesday could see every iPhone owner in England and Wales compensated by up to £750, after Google was sued for covertly collecting web-browsing data from users between 2011 and 2012.

UPDATE: The UK Supreme Court has granted Google’s appeal against a planned £3.2 billion British class action over allegations that the tech giant illicitly collected data from iPhone users, despite assurances to the contrary.

The Supreme Court will imminently share its verdict on one of the most significant class-action cases in modern legal history: Lloyd v Google LLC. Consumer-rights advocate Richard Lloyd is suing the tech giant for collecting web-browsing data from iPhone users between 2011 and 2012. In its defence, Google claims it was unable to harvest the data because of default privacy settings on Apple’s default web browser, Safari.

A decade ago, Google was deemed to have placed advertising-tracking cookies on Safari web browsers, despite assuring users they would be automatically opted out of data-harvesting. At the time, it claimed it had not intended for its tech to bypass the default security settings on the Safari browser, describing the infringement as accidental. That information, it was alleged, allowed Google to deduce users’ age, gender, interests, habits, political views and financial position and thereby categorise and target advertising to them accordingly.

Lloyd, the former executive director of consumer-choice publication Which? Magazine, launched the legal suit in 2017 on behalf of the four million iPhone users in England and Wales he alleges were affected. He maintains that if he wins, the tech giant could be forced to pay out billions in compensation, with each iPhone user eligible for up to £750 ($1,014).

As Google is a US-based company, Lloyd applied to serve the claim in the UK. After an initial refusal from the High Court, the Court of Appeal said that, while the claim was “unusual” for being an “opt-out” US-style class action, rather than an opt-in UK-style action on behalf of a group of named individuals, it was acceptable, given it was claimed all the alleged victims of the purported wrongdoing had suffered the same loss.

Legal experts contend that, should Lloyd win, the verdict could represent a landmark. Speaking in 2019, Mishcon de Reya, the lawyers representing the claimant, described the appeals court’s move as “ground-breaking”, as it “confirms a number of important legal principles under data protection law.”

Jamie Curle, a partner at law firm DLA Piper, told Sky News the verdict was “one of the most eagerly awaited decisions of recent years.”

Google is no stranger to large fines. In September, it announced plans to challenge a €500 ($591) million fine imposed on it by the French competition authority. The internet giant was accused of not having respected copyright rules.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×