“Reuters” (http://macte.ch/uuHEt) reports that a federal judge has ruled that Apple must defend against a lawsuit accusing it of letting advertisers secretly track the activity of millions of mobile device users; however, Googleand several other defendants were dismissed from the case.
Owners of iPhones, iPads and iPod touches may pursue claims against Apple under two California consumer protection laws, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, said in a decision late Tuesday. Koh oversees nationwide litigation combining 19 lawsuits.
However, the judge threw out claims that Apple violated customers’ privacy rights. He also threw out claims under federal laws addressing computer fraud, wiretaps, and records disclosure, notes “Reuters.”
As first reported on April 20, 2011, by independent computer programmers, Apple’s iOS 4 operating system continuously collected user location data, up to 100 times per day or more, and stores this data for months or years, together with time stamps of the locations recorded. However, Apple said it collects the location data anonymously and only when consumers agree to use its location-based services like maps, or any apps that ask a user’s location, and for its advertising system, iAds.