Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s last privacy policy change went into affect two years ago, but that doesn’t mean the policy isn’t in need of changes. Some European watchdog groups hope to change the privacy policy.
The latest issued for Google
Earlier this week, German regulators demanded the search giant to limit how it combines user data spanning from various products. This specifically concerned with out it finds out user’s marital status or sexual orientation.
Bloomberg reported Google was specifically requested to change its user policy so users can determine how the data is being used. The search giant dealt with regulators throughout the nation since it updated it’s policy two years ago. Some of the more noteworthy battles were in Italy and France.
The primary problem concerning Google’s last policy change was the fact it didn’t change the way the company collects user information. Nothing new was being collected or shared with third parties in new ways. The one key difference was that the policy helped Google to share data with itself on different products. Google’s reasoning behind this was to offer more personalized experiences for users.
Another problem with the European Union
A few days ago, the new European commissioner Gunther Oettinger admitted to the European Parliament he was responsible for messing up the settlement. He summed it up to The Wall Street Journal, “If I hadn’t been opposed to it, the Google case would have been settled back in March. The Google case was proof of the energetic approach of the commission…a textbook example of how the commission can take decisions in a robust way.”
This problem all started early this year when Google was close to reaching a settlement with the European Union with relatively low consequences. Just last week, Joaquin Almunia (the European Union Competition Commissioner) claimed 20 new complaints provided fresh evidence and solid-sounding arguments show Google needs to come up with a better offer or perhaps face more serious consequences.
