Defiant Google rolls out privacy rules

Google angered European Union regulators on the 1 March 2012 by rolling out a new privacy policy despite repeated requests to delay the project and warnings that it might not be lawful.

Viviane Reding, the EU Justice Commissioner, told the Financial Times that Google’s decision to go ahead with the new privacy policies was unfortunate when it was not clear that these complied with European law. She said she backed a call by French regulators to delay implementation.

On 27 February 2012 French regulator the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) wrote to Google warning that French and EU authorities were 'deeply concerned about the combination of personal data across services' and that there were 'strong concerns about the lawfulness and fairness of such processing and its compliance with European data legislation'.

ESO: Background information: Reding defines new EU data privacy rules http://www.europeansources.info/record/reding-defines-new-eu-data-privacy-rules/

ESO: Background information: New EU privacy rules worry business http://www.europeansources.info/record/new-eu-privacy-rules-worry-business/

BBC News, 1.3.12: Google privacy changes 'in breach of EU law' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17205754

Deutsche Welle, 1.3.12: Google launches new privacy policy http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15779084,00.html

France24, 1.3.12: Google rolls out new privacy policy amid criticism http://www.france24.com/en/20120301-google-rolls-out-new-privacy-policy-amid-criticism

France24, 1.3.12: France leads EU warnings over Google’s new privacy policy http://www.france24.com/en/20120301-france-leads-eu-warnings-over-google-new-privacy-policy-internet

CNIL: Press Release, 28.2.12: Google’s new privacy policy raises deep concerns about data protection and the respect of the European law http://www.cnil.fr/english/news-and-events/news/article/googles-new-privacy-policy-raises-deep-concerns-about-data-protection-and-the-respect-of-the-euro/

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

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

Spiegel Online International, 17.10.12: US Lobbyists Face Off with EU on Data Privacy Proposal http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/us-government-and-internet-giants-battle-eu-over-data-privacy-proposal-a-861773.html

Spiegel Online International, 25.10.12: The Intransparent Methods of an Internet Giant http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/anti-trust-suits-threaten-google-from-both-sides-of-the-atlantic-a-863213.html

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