A group of internet users has launched a privacy case against Google for undermining the security settings on Apple's Safari browser to track online usage covertly.

In the first case of its kind in the UK, a number of people have decided to take action and are forming a campaigning group called "Safari Users Against Google's Secret Tracking." They have instructed the law firm, Olswang, to coordinate the claims and are marking Data Privacy Day tomorrow (Jan 28) by launching a Facebook page to provide information to the many other people who might also have been affected. The Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/SafariUsersAgainstGooglesSecretTracking.

The claims centre around tracking cookies, which had been installed by Google on the computers and mobile devices of people using Apple's Safari internet browser.

According to Olswang, through its DoubleClick adverts, Google designed a code to circumvent privacy settings in order to deposit the cookies on computers in order to provide user-targeted advertising.

"The claimants thought that cookies were being blocked on their devices because of Safari's strict default privacy settings and separate assurances being given by Google at the time. This was not the case," the Law firm said.

The practice was only stopped when an academic researcher noticed Google's activity and published an expos? in the United States. Google was subsequently found to be in violation of an existing order from the US Federal Trade Commission and was fined a record $22.5million.

Olswang say that this action breached their clients' confidence and privacy and are now seeking damages, disclosure and an apology from the company.