European data watchdogs target Google over privacy

From March to October 2012, the Article 29 Working Party investigated Google’s privacy policy with the aim of checking whether it met the requirements of the European Data Protection Directive (95/46/CE). In view of the findings of this analysis which was published on 26 October 2012, the EU Data protection authorities asked Google to comply with their recommendations within 4 months

Europe’s largest data-protection authorities launched a joint action against Google in April 2013 to force it to remedy alleged breaches of EU privacy rules by the search giant.

The move by data-protection authorities from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands was the first co-ordinated and formal procedure by EU states against a single company on privacy, underscoring European frustration with Google.

• Primary Source

CNIL: Press Release, 02.04.13: Google privacy policy: six European data protection authorities to launch coordinated and simultaneous enforcement actions http://www.cnil.fr/english/news-and-events/news/article/google-privacy-policy-six-european-data-protection-authorities-to-launch-coordinated-and-simultaneo/

European Commission: DG Justice: Data protection: Article 29 http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/article-29/index_en.htm

ESO: Background information: Defiant Google rolls out privacy rules http://www.europeansources.info/record/defiant-google-rolls-out-privacy-rules/

Google: Privacy Policy http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/policies/privacy/

Big Brother Watch: Press Release, 02.04.13: Time for action on Google's privacy policy http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/home/2013/04/time-for-action-on-googles-privacy-policy.html

EUObserver, 09.04.13: Google's collision course with member states http://euobserver.com/opinion/119727

EUObserver, 25.04.13: German data chief attacks credit-profile firms http://euobserver.com/economic/119930

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