Privacy activists target Google over French 'spam' emails / Photo: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV - AFP/File
-
North Korea test-fires two new air defence missiles: KCNA
-
Sinner, Sabalenka chasing rare repeats as US Open gets underway
-
Venezuela rallies militia volunteers in response to US 'threat'
-
Musk's megarocket faces crucial new test after failures
-
UK's mass facial-recognition roll-out alarms rights groups
-
Home hope Henderson, Aussie Lee share Canadian Women's Open lead
-
Fucsovics holds off van de Zandschulp for ATP Winston-Salem crown
-
Fleetwood, Cantlay share PGA Tour Championship lead
-
Argentina stun All Blacks with historic 29-23 upset win
-
France begin Women's Rugby World Cup with hard-fought win over Italy
-
Barca complete late comeback win as Atletico drop more points in Liga
-
Alcaraz targeting 'unbelievable' Sinner at US Open
-
Swiatek plays down favorite status ahead of US Open
-
De Bruyne strikes in Napoli's strong start as Modric's Milan sank by Cremonese
-
Springboks back in contention after win - Erasmus
-
Cirstea downs Li to claim WTA Cleveland crown
-
Nigeria says killed over 35 jihadists near Cameroon border
-
Sri Lanka ex-president rushed to intensive care after jailing
-
Russia claims more Ukraine land as hopes for summit fade
-
Atletico still without Liga win after Elche draw
-
Schell shock as six-try star leads Canada to 65-7 World Cup hammering of Fiji
-
Gyokeres scores twice but injuries to Saka, Odegaard sour Arsenal rout of Leeds
-
Leverkusen stumble in Ten Hag Bundesliga debut, Dortmund collapse late
-
Man City revamp rocked by Spurs, Arsenal thrash Leeds
-
Gyokeres scores twice as Arsenal rout Leeds
-
De Bruyne strikes in Napoli's strong start to Scudetto defence at Sassuolo
-
Seoul says fired warning shots after North Korean troops crossed border
-
McGhie the hat-trick heroine as Scotland overwhelm Wales in Women's Rugby World Cup
-
'It's in my DNA': Williams relishes US Open return at 45
-
Portugal suffers new wildfire death as Spain beats back blazes
-
Pollard steers Springboks to victory over Wallabies
-
Aubameyang stars as Marseille end chaotic week on five-goal high
-
US govt wants migrant targeted in crackdown deported to Uganda: lawyers
-
Man City revamp rocked by Spurs, Villa beaten at Brentford
-
Philipsen wins Vuelta a Espana opening stage
-
Crystal Palace's Eze returns to boyhood club Arsenal
-
Reyna trades Dortmund for Gladbach chasing 'new chapter'
-
Leverkusen stumble in Ten Hag Bundesliga debut
-
'Far too late': Palestinians despair after UN declares famine in Gaza
-
Diamond sparkles for Irish training icon Mullins in the Ebor
-
Tottenham's new-found desire to defend delights Frank
-
Man City troubles reappear as solid Spurs go top
-
Marquez sweeps to victory in Hungary to bolster title lead
-
Australia start Women's Rugby World Cup with record 73-0 rout of Samoa
-
Man City's old problems rear their head as Tottenham ease to victory
-
Revenge off the menu for Ginting at badminton world championships in Paris
-
Guinea's junta suspends three main political parties
-
Bosnia's Serb statelet calls referendum on verdict against leader
-
'Uncle Marc' Guehi credits family and Swansea for Palace starring role
-
Berlin's 'Moors' Street' renamed after years of controversy
NYSE - LSE
Privacy activists target Google over French 'spam' emails
Google is breaking EU law by sending users of its email service Gmail direct advertising messages, activists said in a complaint sent to French regulators on Wednesday.
It is the latest in a long line of complaints filed by the activist group NOYB (None of Your Business), which has fought the tech giant for years on data privacy.
The French data regulator CNIL has been among the most active in Europe, doling out huge fines against Google and Facebook in particular.
The activist group provided screenshots to CNIL that showed marketing messages at the top of a user's inbox.
The messages were marked with a green box and the word "annonce", French for advert.
The group said under EU law, that kind of marketing was allowed only if users had consented.
"Spam is a commercial email sent without consent. And it is illegal," said NOYB lawyer Romain Robert in a statement.
"Spam does not become legal just because it is generated by the email provider."
CNIL confirmed to AFP it had received the complaint.
Google told AFP it had no comment as yet.
Google and Facebook's parent company Meta are at the centre of a long-running battle over their data-collection practices in Europe.
The French regulator fined Google 150 million euros ($150 million) and Meta 60 million euros last December over their failure to provide users with an easy opt-out for cookies, files that track users around the web.
The two firms also face scrutiny over their practice of sending the personal data of EU residents to servers in the United States.
NOYB has filed dozens of cases with regulators across the bloc arguing that the practice is illegal.
M.Thompson--AMWN
