Google has been the subject of more than one class-action suit about activities that have been described as “interceptions” of e-mail contents, and eventually they were combined into one case because they involved the same accusations over invasions of privacy.

Google is one of the Internet’s biggest advertisers, and the company for its part has argued that capturing information about its users and their messages is part of their “ordinary course of business.” The scanning of Gmail messages to show ads is automated, with no human review, and is no different from the processes it uses to detect spam or viruses, offer inbox search or filter messages into folders, the company argued in its motion to dismiss the case.

Nicole Wong, the company’s deputy general counsel in 2009, testified before Congress about the company’s practice of scanning e-mails.