Azernews.Az

By Bloomberg

Germany plans to give consumer groups the right to sue Internet giants such as Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. if they violate data-protection rules.

Consumer-rights watchdogs could seek court injunctions against companies under a bill backed by the government on Wednesday, Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in an e-mailed statement. The proposal specifically targets data-use for advertising, personality profiles and the sale of addresses and other information, he said.

“For consumers it’s difficult to even detect data protection violations -- many don’t dare litigating on their own against big companies,” said Mass. “In such a situation, consumers need a strong advocate of their interests. We’re empowering consumer protection enforcement -- especially against powerful companies on the Internet.”

The step, which still needs to be approved by lawmakers, could add to the pressure on Web companies in the continent. A ruling by the European Union’s top court last year extended national oversight of Internet companies doing business in any part of the 28-nation bloc. Hamburg’s data regulator cited that ruling when announcing a review of the revamped data terms Facebook introduced in January.