Google threatens to pull Gmail from Germany

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 26 June 2007 11:41

Your IT - Home IT

Google is often criticised for keeping too much data for too long - but now the company is threatening to turn off its free Google Mail service in Germany if proposed new laws go through.

The legislation before the Bundestag would require telecommunications providers to collect and retain personally-identifiable connection data (including Internet and telephone use) relating to German users for six months. Anonymous accounts would not be allowed.

Comments made by Peter Fleischer, global privacy counsel at Google, to German magazine WirtschaftsWoche have been variously translated by English-language publications, but the gist is that the company regards the proposed laws as a severe blow to privacy and would be prepared to stop offering the service to German users rather than allowing co-operation with the new law to harm its reputation.

Google is unable to use the Gmail name in Germany due to a trademark conflict, so the service is known locally as Google Mail.