Google defends user data policy after EU report

[flashl]

Source: YN (Reuters)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc (GOOG.O) on Monday defended a policy of retaining data on Web users for up to 18 months as necessary to improve search results, responding to an EU report that saw no need for search services to keep personal data beyond six months.

...

The report by the so-called Article 29 Working Party calls for increased user notification and warns Web search services that fail to do so may be unlawful.

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"It is the opinion of the Working Party that search engines in their role as collectors of user data have so far insufficiently explained the nature and purpose of their operations to the users of their services," the report states.

"The Working Party does not see a basis for a retention period beyond 6 months," the study concludes.

YN

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080408/tc_nm/google_privacy_dc;_ylt=Ag2PX6aXkhiSvDcAxQ5OS56s0NUE

[jeff30997]

1. Screw Google.

I block their adds and use other search engines.

[matcom]

3. good luck with that if you own a business

I work in the industry. We are ALL at their mercy (sometimes its good, sometimes not)

[PoiBoy]

2. Scroogle...

no cookies / no search-term records / access log deleted within 48 hours...

http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm

[Rage for Order]

4. Wasn't their initial motto "Do no harm"? n/t