Google’s privacy policy violates Dutch’s data protection law.
In March of 2012 a new Google privacy policy went into effect, which allowed it to combine the personal information it collected on its users from different online services. If you had a google account that same login would be used for BlogSpot, YouTube, and any other social media Google owns.
Reuters reports that this policy is illegal under Dutch’s data protection law after a seven month investigation.
Before the privacy law went into effect, PC Mag reported that the EU’s Article 29 Working Party asked Google to delay its privacy policy update, but Google did not.
The Dutch Data Protection Agency (DPA) asked Google to attend a meeting to discuss inquiries.
The DPA’s chairman Jacob Kohnstamm explained why Google is in violation, “Google spins an invisible web of our personal data, without consent. That is forbidden by law.”
However, Google feels that its policy does not breach any laws.
“Our privacy policy respects European law and allows us to create simpler, more effective services. We have engaged fully with the Dutch DPA throughout this process and will continue to do so going forward," Google wrote in a statement.
However, the DPA is not the only European protection agency that is concerned about Google’s privacy policy or reviewing it. Other data protection agencies in France, Spain, Germany, and more are looking over Google’s privacy policy.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
