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French consumers' association sues Facebook, Twitter and Google

Watchdog UFC-Que Choisir is suing the social media giants for using 'illegible' user terms of conditions that breach internet users' privacy.

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France's top consumer watchdog filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Facebook, Twitter and Google, accusing them of breaching internet users' privacy, in the latest crackdown against data-collection policies, reports CNN.

UFC-Que Choisir is suing the social media giants at the French High Court, alleging "abusive" and "illegal" practices and not heeding repeated warnings in June to modify what it called "inaccessible" and "illegible" user terms of conditions.

"Facing such negligence," the group is asking French judges to "order the suppression or modification of the myriad of litigious clauses imposed by these companies."

It accuses the social media networks of "continuing to allow the collection, modification, conservation and exploitation of user data and that of their entourage" including friends and followers.

"If the social media networks are particularly greedy in terms of data, they are dieting when it comes to responsibility," the group said in a statement.

Read more of this report from CNN.