Ian Felstead, a Partner at Latham and Watkins in London describes privacy actions as a “cottage industry” in parts of Europe, while noting that the Supreme Court Lloyd vs Google decision had curbed this trend in the UK (PL&B UK Report January 2022, p.1).(1)

Much of the heat from damages claims has fallen on the large platforms whose user bases and (presumably) deeper pockets are irresistible to what Cecilia Alvarez – EMEA Privacy Policy Director at Meta, Spain – describes as “privacy profiteers”. Alvarez’s evident frustration stems not just from her role with Meta but from a long career in privacy and also her broader experience in civil litigation.