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Google forced to toe the line on privacy
In a unique court settlement, Google will undergo
regular privacy audits for the next 20 years -
showing that even the largest must be accountable
when it comes to handling sensitive user data. |
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Google has settled a lawsuit with the US Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) after breaking its own
privacy laws with the launch of its Buzz network.
In January 2010, Google launched Buzz, a social
networking site aimed at competing with Twitter and
Facebook. However, it automatically signed users up
and distributed their most common contacts without
prior permission from each user. The furore that
surrounded the issue and the resultant reluctance to
use the service consigned Google Buzz to relative
obscurity.
Following the security breach, the
FTC launched a legal case against Google for using
"deceptive tactics" in violating the privacy laws
set out in the US-EU Safe Harbour Framework.
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As a result of the lawsuit's settlement,
Google has agreed to undergo regular,
independent privacy audits bi-annually for
the next 20 years as part of its
"comprehensive privacy programme". It will
also have to attain "affirmative consent"
from each user before it shares their
personal data with other third parties and
must stop misrepresenting how it handles
information. |
"This is a tough settlement that ensures
that Google will honour its commitments to
customers and build strong privacy
protections into all its operations."
Jon Leibowitz
Chairman, FTC |
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'Tough settlement' despite no
monetary penalty
FTC Chairman, Jon Leibowitz, told Reuters
why his organisation took action against the
search engine, saying, "when companies make
privacy pledges, they need to honour them.
This is a tough settlement that ensures that
Google will honour its commitments to
customers and build strong privacy
protections into all its operations".
There is no monetary penalty for Google,
however, Jessica Rich, the Deputy Director
of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection
told the Huffington Post that the costs
involved in hiring an outside auditor to
complete the required checks would be a
"tough order that will impose substantial
costs" on Google.
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