

When pyrite came into contact with water and oxygen, it oxidised and generated acidity, she explained. “The acid produced can now leach heavy metals from these rocks into the waterways. The issue we’ve been having here in Longyearbyen is manganese , but other contaminants can be leached out from the rocks.”


I think the point other people are making is that this can set precedent in German law and allow other people with similar issues to bring suit and win on merit and not have to fight as hard for their case to be considered. It could also end up inspiring similar cases in other countries using similar frameworks, adapted for local laws.
If suddenly Alphabet has thousands people taking to them to court in jurisdictions all over the world, that can indeed hurt them, although it will take longer than injunctions on Google now, I fully agree.