RSSEU Looking At Google User Data Retention
By Ed Oswald | Published May 25, 2007, 12:13 PM
Google is being investigated by the European Union over possible violation of the bloc's privacy rules. At issue is the search engine's practice of retaining user information for up to two years.
A letter has been sent to the Mountain View, Calif. company by an independent panel which assists the EU in privacy issues. The inquiry has the full support of the European Commission, officials said.
Google says that it respects consumer privacy, however it must balance that with protecting itself and its users from fraud and abuse. It will respond before the panel's next meeting in June.
Privacy regulations are much stricter in the EU than they are here in the US. However, some are concerned with Google's practices here as well: the Federal Trade Commission has been asked to probe the DoubleClick merger for possible concerns.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center, Center for Digital Democracy, and U.S. Public Interest Research Groups have asked that the merger be blocked until concerns over Google's data collection and storage are addressed.
"Google is being investigated by the European Union over possible violation of the bloc's privacy rules. At issue is the search engine's practice of retaining user information for up to two years."
Reading the language that the EU uses in it's regulations and bylaws, this will have whatever outcome the EU chooses, and not have beans to do with whether or not Google did anything wrong. The people at the EU will decide solely from their own thoughts and opinions, not based on any formal law or regulation.
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|So whatever outcome brings them the most money?
Yeah, I'd agree with that assessment.
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|I dont see this as a problem for Google. They already have been more than cooperative with Chinese coverment to block and isolate their people from "unwanted" content.
Would it take much effort to change something as simply as this?
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|I'd be just as happy to see the EU win this one. I think that 6 months at most would be long enough for them to retain any data. I'm not even really sure it is necessary to keep it that long. Besides they could save money having less data storage to contend with.
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|wow is this going to be ANOTHER lawsuit from the EU .. i really really really dislike the EU
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|Too f***ing bad. Companies who operate within EU has to abide the same rules and directives just like everyone else.
There wont be any lawsuit.
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|Why? Because they support consumer privacy?
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|Moved.
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|So let's see the US wants Google to keep all the information and the EU doesn't. So it equates to your damned if you do and damned if you don't.
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|They do have 2 different sites.
google.co.uk could *not* keep the info and google.com *could*.
But then I suppose they have all the ancillary sites.
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