L
Luminoso
Guest
via bbc news
Google has been told that it may be breaking European privacy laws by
keeping people's search information on its servers for up to two
years.
A data protection group that advises the European Union has written to
the search giant to express concerns.
The Article 29 group, made up of data protection commissioners around
the EU, has asked Google to clarify its policy.
Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel, said the firm was
committed to dialogue with the group.
"We believe it's an important part of our commitment to respect user
privacy while balancing a number of important factors, such as
maintaining security and preventing fraud and abuse," Mr Fleischer
said.
"This group has addressed a letter to Google raising a number of
questions," EU spokesman Pietro Petrucci said, adding that the Union's
Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini was backing the investigation.
"He considers those questions raised by the letter to be appropriate
and legitimate," Mr Petrucci said.
A spokeswoman for Google said the firm would answer the EU's privacy
concerns before the panel's next meeting at the end of June.
"The concern is about keeping information about people's search for a
definite period of time ranging from 18 to 24 months," she said.
"They (the working party) believe it is too long."
How about NOT KEEPING DATA AT ALL ???
Googles purposes could be served simply by collecting
generic statistics, how many hits and repeat hits on
sites and ads from whatever zip codes.
Even more embarassing, why is the normally antilibertarian
EU pushing ahead with this issue while "The Land Of The Free"
dicks around and does nothing ?
Google has been told that it may be breaking European privacy laws by
keeping people's search information on its servers for up to two
years.
A data protection group that advises the European Union has written to
the search giant to express concerns.
The Article 29 group, made up of data protection commissioners around
the EU, has asked Google to clarify its policy.
Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel, said the firm was
committed to dialogue with the group.
"We believe it's an important part of our commitment to respect user
privacy while balancing a number of important factors, such as
maintaining security and preventing fraud and abuse," Mr Fleischer
said.
"This group has addressed a letter to Google raising a number of
questions," EU spokesman Pietro Petrucci said, adding that the Union's
Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini was backing the investigation.
"He considers those questions raised by the letter to be appropriate
and legitimate," Mr Petrucci said.
A spokeswoman for Google said the firm would answer the EU's privacy
concerns before the panel's next meeting at the end of June.
"The concern is about keeping information about people's search for a
definite period of time ranging from 18 to 24 months," she said.
"They (the working party) believe it is too long."
How about NOT KEEPING DATA AT ALL ???
Googles purposes could be served simply by collecting
generic statistics, how many hits and repeat hits on
sites and ads from whatever zip codes.
Even more embarassing, why is the normally antilibertarian
EU pushing ahead with this issue while "The Land Of The Free"
dicks around and does nothing ?
