A major legal battle has emerged, with a Manchester-based law firm, Barings Law, bringing a case against Microsoft and Google over the alleged misuse of consumer data to train AI systems. Since launching the initiative in November 2024, the firm has gathered over 20,000 potential claimants.

The legal action follows a two-year investigation into the tech giants’ use of personal data, such as voice recordings, location information, and images, to build advanced AI models like Google’s Gemini. Barings Law formally notified both companies last month, detailing the accusations and the lack of consent from users whose data was allegedly used in the training of these AI systems.

Court proceedings – which would be the first of their kind ever instigated in the UK – could begin as early as next week.

Head of Data Protection at Barings Law, Adnan Malik, said: “This is another step forward in what will no doubt be a landmark British case against two US technology giants.

“The first month of our action saw 10,000 people sign up as claimants, and that number has now doubled, sending a clear message that abuse of their personal, private data will not be tolerated.

“Our expert team at Barings Law has a proven track record in remedying significant and damaging data breaches, and we will continue to stand up for the privacy of all users.”

Barings Law has a wealth of expertise in handling high-profile data breach cases, including ongoing proceedings concerning a 2023 cyber-attack on Capita which saw hundreds of thousands of people have personal information compromised.

Earlier in April, Microsoft launched a new feature as part of its flagship Copilot AI tool which takes repeated snapshots of users’ screen activity – which was labelled a ‘privacy nightmare’ by campaigners.

Google also continues to push the boundaries of what its Gemini AI can do, having recently added the ability for it to search through and identify private photos on users’ devices.

With AI playing an increasingly closer role in people’s lives, Mr Malik warned that further cases involving the misuse of data would be inevitable.

He added: “This case may be the first of its kind in the UK, but it will not be the last. As global tech corporations continue to play fast and loose with their customers’ personal data, we have to be more vigorous than ever in demanding accountability and justice for everyone affected.”