Operators of websites with Google Fonts have received an above-average number of warnings in the past. There appears to be a business model behind this. The Berlin public prosecutor's office is now investigating.

Warning fraud and extortion in more than 2,400 cases: These are the accusations made by the Berlin Public Prosecutor General's Office against a lawyer and his client. The accused are said to have issued warnings to operators of websites that used Google Fonts and offered to waive civil proceedings in return for payment of a settlement sum. The public prosecutor's office has now searched business premises in various federal states in order to gather evidence.

What are Google Fonts?

Google Fonts is an interactive directory with over 1,400 fonts. These are mainly used by private individuals and small businesses to create websites. The problem is that the fonts are loaded directly from the Google servers when you visit a website. In the process, the website operator transmits the visitor's IP address to Google - without their knowledge. The two defendants took advantage of this. They allegedly visited websites with Google fonts using software they had programmed themselves and logged the visits. These tracked visits then served as the basis for the allegation of data protection violations and the assertion of claims for damages.

More than 2,000 people affected

The operators of the websites immediately received a letter. In the warning letter, they were accused of violating the General Data Protection Regulation and the right to informational self-determination. At the same time, the affected website operators were offered the opportunity to avoid civil proceedings in return for payment of a settlement sum of 170 euros. Around 2,000 of them are said to have accepted and paid the settlement offer out of fear of legal proceedings, according to the Berlin public prosecutor's office.

Software has no personal rights

However, according to the public prosecutor's office, there was no actual violation of the informational self-determination of the accused. The fact that the websites were visited using software meant that there was no person whose personal rights could have been violated. In addition, the website visits were deliberately made with the aim of IP transmission, which would be tantamount to consenting to data transmission.

High amount of damage

As part of the investigation, the Berlin public prosecutor's office has now executed numerous search warrants, including in Berlin, Hanover, Ratzeburg and Baden-Baden. Two arrest warrants with a total amount of around 350,000 euros were also executed. According to the public prosecutor's office, corresponding evidence was seized and will be analyzed over the next few weeks. They will provide precise information about the number and identity of other victims and the actual turnover of the fraud.