We have reported back in 2018 that several national consumer organisations have filed a complaint about Google's deceptive design (the use of dark patterns) to acquire their users' consent to constant tracking of their 'location history' (Google tracks every step you take). The complaints were lodged in various national data protection authorities in November 2019. It took until July 2019 for the decision to be made that the Irish Data Protection Commission will lead the investigation into the complaints. After another six months, in February 2020, we have found out that the Irish Data Protection Commission have also opened an investigation of their own motion (own volition inquiry). This means that there are two separate, but interlinked as they pertain to the similar reported infringements, procedures ongoing at the moment.
Why? That is a very good question. What is the benefit of the opening up of a new procedure with/by the same authority? Supposedly, the own inquiry of the data protection authority will provide insights necessary to further resolve the submitted complaints. The date of any decision/report is unknown at the moment. Which raises the question whether submitting the GDPR complaints actually makes sense from the perspective of consumer protection. After all, whilst the procedure is ongoing and the complaints are pending, the reported practices have not been suspended.
