Google’s 2012 privacy policy changes: the backlash and response – The Verge

Google France forced to notify visitors of €150,000 privacy policy fine

2014-02-08T19:45:02-05:00

via puu.sh

In France, Google's normally almost text-free homepage now bears a block of text telling visitors that it's been fined for violating national privacy laws. Google's 2012 privacy policy change led to harsh criticism by several European privacy watchdogs, and France's Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) determined last year that the company had failed to address privacy and data protection questions. In January, it levied a €150,000 (around $204,000) fine - the maximum allowed by law - and ordered Google to post a notice of the decision for 48 hours. The notification gives the amount and reason for the fine and a link …

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Dutch data protection agency says Google is violating privacy laws

2013-11-28T21:18:02-05:00

Google Glass blue 560px (STOCK)

The privacy policy that Google implemented in March of 2012 violates Dutch privacy laws, the country's data protection agency has found. In a report issued today, the DPA said that Google has "no legal ground" to use things like tracking cookies to collect and unify information about website visitors. "The combining of data by Google from and about multiple services and third-party websites for the purpose of displaying personalized ads, personalization of services, product development and analytics constitutes a major intrusion into the privacy of the users involved," reads an informal English translation. "Some of these data are of a sensi …

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French regulator moves forward with sanctions after Google refuses to alter privacy policy

2013-09-27T17:43:53-04:00

Google New York Chelsea Office (STOCK)

European regulators have long been displeased with Google's revised privacy policy that went into effect in 2012, and now a French watchdog is moving forward with sanctions today after the internet company failed to address privacy concerns. The Paris-based Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL) said today in a statement that Google "has not complied with the requests laid down in the enforcement notice," and the chair of the commission will "designate a rapporteur for the purpose of initiating a formal procedure for imposing sanctions" - setting off what may be a months-long process. Google faces a maximum fine of €15 …

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How Google+ killed Google’s company-wide privacy effort

2013-07-30T22:22:46-04:00

cluster of locks security privacy stock 1024

Before Google rolled out its controversial new privacy policy last March - the one that sparked government concerns around the world and could trigger fines in Europe - Google actually considered providing users with a simple privacy slider to let them choose the maximum amount of information to share across every one of its services, according to The Wall Street Journal. Google CEO Larry Page himself reportedly asked for the privacy slider. So why wasn't it adopted? Apparently, Google was worried that people wouldn't share information on its new Google+ social network if they had an easy way to opt out of data collection.

"The tin-foil-hat …

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UK and Germany join France in demanding Google rewrite its privacy policy

2013-07-06T04:04:07-04:00

Google New York Chelsea Office (STOCK)

Last month France acted on a year-long investigation into Google's new privacy policy in the EU, demanding the company change its policy or face stiff fines. Now, the UK and Germany are piling on. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office says that Google's policy, last updated in March 2012, "does not provide sufficient information to enable UK users of Google's services to understand how their data will be used across all of the company's products." The ICO is giving Google until September 20th to update the policy or face "the possibility of formal enforcement action."

Germany, meanwhile, has already scheduled a hearing for August, wher …

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France orders Google to change its privacy policy as UK and others consider similar action

2013-06-20T05:44:28-04:00

Google New York Chelsea Office (STOCK)

France's data protection agency has ordered Google to change its privacy policy, following a year-long investigation into the company's practices. In a press release published Thursday, the Paris-based Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL) said Google's data collection policies are in violation of the French Data Protection Act, and gave the company three months to make adjustments. Should Google fail to make changes within three months, it would face an initial fine of up to €150,000 (about $198,300), and a second fine of up to €300,000 ($396,500) if the search company continues to neglect the CNIL's orders.

The CNI …

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Google braces for fines in Europe over privacy policy

2013-04-02T07:53:57-04:00

Neelie Kroes, Brussels

After a lengthy investigation, the French independent administrative authority CNIL has advised EU countries to take action against Google over its privacy policy. In a press release today, CNIL said that Google has failed to respond to its requests to modify the policy, and the watchdog passing the matter over to member states to deal with accordingly. The UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands were all involved in the investigation, and It's now up to regulators in each country to look into the matter and decide what action to take.

A spokesperson for the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) told us that it is launch …

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Google’s privacy director departs after years of controversial practices and legal trouble

2013-04-01T17:19:44-04:00

Google privacy director Alma Whitten headshot

Google has confirmed to The Verge that lead privacy director Alma Whitten will be leaving the company after 10 years. Software engineering director Lawrence You, who's been with the company eight years and is a founding member of Google's privacy team, will be taking over the job. A Google spokesperson said in part "Alma has done so much to improve our products and protect our users." But Whitten leaves behind a mixed record as Google's privacy director, especially in recent years, when the company ran into trouble with governments around the world for practices deemed disconcerting at best and violations at worst.

Whitten leaves behind a mi …

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Google will face further scrutiny from EU regulators over 2012 privacy policy changes

2013-02-18T17:12:48-05:00

European Union flags

The European Union first expressed concern about Google's new privacy policy last February, and now, more than a year later, Reuters reports that EU regulators are preparing to take action against the company this summer. Last October, after a probe into Google's new privacy policy, regulators urged the company to revise its policy in order to comply with data protection laws. Regulators were not pleased with Google's response.

EU regulators gave Google four months to change its policies last October, and the French privacy regulator leading the EU's investigation said that the company "did not provide any precise and effective answers." Re …

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EU regulators say Google must revise its privacy policy

2012-10-16T11:43:05-04:00

European Union Brussel Headquarters

EU regulators have urged Google to implement changes to the way it handles user data. CNiL, an independent French watchdog concerned with data protection, today revealed the results of a probe into Google's much-maligned unified privacy policy at the same time as publishing an open letter to Google CEO Larry Page. The watchdog, which undertook the investigation on the behalf of the European Union, explained that its issues stem from Google providing its users with "incomplete or approximate information" on data collection and combination. It identified eight purposes that Google combines user data for:

The provision of services where the us …

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