Dutch consumers lobby group Consumentenbond said on Tuesday it is preparing a mass claim against Google for infringing the privacy of users. 

The watchdog claims that the American tech company is collecting a large amount of sensitive information about users, much of which consumers are unaware of. If the company does not stop doing this and pay compensation, the Consumentenbond said it will take the issue to court.

“Google exploits its users and makes enormous profits from doing this,” Consumentenbond chief Sandra Molenaar said. “In 2022 alone the company sold advertising for some $224 billion. Google has been getting rich at the expense of the privacy of consumers for years and this has to stop.”

The lobby group has linked up with the pro-privacy foundation Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen in calling for compensation for every Dutch consumer who has used Google since March 2012. 

Dutch News has asked Google for a reaction.

The case is being financed by US claim company Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein which will get between 18% and 25% of the proceeds if the case is successful, broadcaster NOS reported.

A similar tactic against Facebook resulted in Dutch judges ruling earlier this year that Facebook Ireland had gleaned private information for advertising purposes from users without legal grounds and had passed it on to other companies.

April’s ruling was the first stage in what is likely to be a long legal battle for compensation, and Meta has already said it plans to appeal. 

The Consumentenbond is also embroiled in a similar privacy case against TikTok.