Google takes care of its privates

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 29 May 2007 00:36

Opinion and Analysis

Dogged by questions from the EU over Google’s data retention and privacy policies, Google say they’re following the rules.

An Associated Press report brings to light news of a new European Union probe into Google’s actions in following strict EU privacy rules.

A 28-member EU panel has sent Google a letter asking questions about the way Google stores user data and search records for between 18 and 24 months. The AP reported EU spokesperson Pietro Petrucci as saying that: “This group has addressed a letter to Google raising a number of questions”, and said that EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini “considers those questions raised by the letter to be appropriate and legitimate.

However, Google’s global privacy counsel has shot back that Google is working hard to ensure consumer privacy, saying in a statement that: “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”, and that Google is “committed to engaging in a constructive dialogue”.

He also explained that Google is “the only leading search engine to have taken [the step of anonymizing server logs after 18 to 24 months] publicly”, while the company itself said answers to the EU’s questions would arrive before the next meeting of the EU panel in late June.