EPIC Watchdog Group Sues FTC To Stop Google Privacy Policy Changes

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A consumer watchdog group is suing the Federal Trade Commission in an attempt to prevent Google from making sweeping changes to its privacy policies next month.

The planned revisions would enable Google Inc. to bundle the personal information gathered by its Internet search engine and other services, such as Gmail, YouTube and Plus, so the company can gain a better understanding of its users and potentially sell more advertising. Google has depicted the switch as an improvement that will make its privacy policies easier to understand and help deliver more helpful information to users.

But the Electronic Privacy Information Center contends Google's new policies would violate restrictions imposed in an agreement reached with the FTC last year. Google submitted to the rules to resolve complaints that the company had improperly exposed users' email contacts in a now-defunct service called Buzz.

A lawsuit filed Wednesday by EPIC maintains the agreement gives FTC the power to stop Google from making the planned privacy change. The complaint also is seeking an order from a Washington federal court to block Google's policy changes from taking effect March 1.

European regulators already have asked Google to delay the policy changes

Among other things, EPIC alleges Google's new privacy guidelines require users' consent. The group also alleges Google hasn't thoroughly explained the motives for the changes, making it an "unfair and deceptive business practice."

In a statement, Google said it has gone to great lengths to explain the changes to users since announcing the planned switch two weeks ago. The Mountain View, Calif., company previously has said it explained the privacy revisions to the FTC.

"We take privacy very seriously," Google said. "We're happy to engage in constructive conversations about our updated privacy policy, but EPIC is wrong on the facts and the law."

FTC spokeswoman Claudia Bourne Farrell said agency "takes compliance with our consent orders very seriously and always looks carefully at any evidence that they are being violated."

Comments

[PrivacySham]

01:39 AM on 02/13/2012

One of google's more serious privacy problems is the options google provides for removing private information from their web site are non functioning links and they do not provide a way to contact them regarding privacy issues nor broken privacy features. For example, want to remove your name and phone number from google search results? Google says to fill out the form on this page:
http://www.google.com/help/pbremoval.html

But when you click on "submit", you get Error 404, web page does not exist. And nowhere to notify google that their privacy feature is broken. Yet they tell the interviewers "oh, we provide ways for users to remove information" Lies!

[Bannon56]

08:01 PM on 02/10/2012

Yeah it would make sense of "dont like it dont use it" logic. But the problem is that google is just google.com. What are the websites that google owns runs, or is affiliated with so I can opt out? Ironically, Google, by email and phone call wont disclose that informations. Almost as they are hoping that people come across sites they run that may not mention google and still gather their information. Which kind of nullifies the whole "dont like it dont use it" logic. or at least make it not as simple to follow.

[patrickwagner]

02:05 PM on 02/09/2012

This will be the year for Online Privacy and Social Media growth. I think Google needs to buck-up and get some better ideas to market. Google + is growing incredible well and facebook is making its Timeline feature mandatory even as most users are saying they hate the Timeline feature.

[rickjames77]

11:36 AM on 02/09/2012

can't you just sign out when you do your searches? this doesn't seem problemmatic to me.

[rickjames77]

11:37 AM on 02/09/2012

full disclosure - i'm a google shareholder

[thtech]

03:49 PM on 02/09/2012

I don't understand it either. If you don't like it don't use it. I am personally looking forward to it, as my search results are much better with the data they have from me now, I cannot imagine how much more accurate they will be after this. Same with ads. If I have to look at ads I'd rather they be something that I actually have an interest in.