NAGAPATTINAM: Technology giant Google has faced breach of privacy charges on an international scale — ranging from European Union to the US. But, it would never have imagined that an angry consumer sitting all the way back in Mayiladuthurai would press police charges against it for ruining his marital life.
A 44-year-old fancy store owner wanted a police case to be registered against the company for showing details of places on his phone, though he had not visited them. His wife of 18 years, a tailor by profession, has allegedly been accessing this timeline and now suspects him of infidelity. The ‘victim,’ R Chandrasekar, took everyone at Mayiladuthurai Police Station by surprise when he arrived with his complaint.
“I do not know how she is getting to know my travel history without accessing my phone,” Chandrasekar said, demanding action against Google for ruining his peace of mind.
“I don’t remember sharing my mobile phone with my wife in recent times. But, she has been accessing my timeline via Google Maps. It shows places I have not visited. She is going to those places to check why I went there. She is constantly abusing me and my peace of mind is ruined. I demand that action be taken against Google for presenting a false timeline,” Chandrasekar said.
Google Maps, he said, had registered that he had gone to Thiruvizhanthur on Wednesday morning. “I did not go there. My wife checked out the travel history, went there, came back home, and started questioning me. I do not know how she is getting to know my travel history without accessing my phone. She is becoming obsessed,” Chandrasekar rued.
Puzzled investigating officer K Singaravelu said, “We do not have jurisdiction to deal with such issues. We can counsel the complainant’s wife and inform the cybercrime police.” The complainant, probably, did not know that his wife does not need his device to access the details.