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Google offers glimpse at data collection
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-18 21:43
Google Inc. is now disclosing more details on how it collects and uses data
obtained from users, but it is remaining silent on several key questions that
concern privacy advocates.
The company's new privacy policy, though little changed in substance from one
issued 15 months ago, is easier to read and reflects Google's expansion beyond
its core search engine business.
It also describes in greater detail what Google is doing to protect against
abuses.
But it remains remains silent on how long information is kept. That's an area
of growing concern as Google offers more and more services that potentially
collect and store a wealth of personal data, making the company's servers a
prime target for abuse by overzealous law enforcers and criminals alike.
The most material change is in format. The July 1, 2004, policy is replaced
by a set of three statements: a full-length policy twice as long as the one it
replaces, a "highlights" version and explanations in question-and-answer format.
"We regularly review our policy and update as necessary," Google associate
general counsel Nicole Wong said Monday in an e-mail. "In this case, we were
pleased to learn that the EU (European) Commission had embraced the concept of
`layered notices' for privacy policies, emphasizing simplicity and clarity. We
agree with that and modified our policies in a way that we hope is both clear
and easy to understand for our users."
The new policy, issued Friday, states that Google may use personal
information to display customized content and advertising, develop new services
and ensure that its network continues to function. The practices aren't new but
weren't explicit before.
And while the old policy says Google restricts access of such information to
employees on a need-to-know basis, the new policy stresses that those
individuals may be fired or criminally prosecuted for violations.
Google also reorganized its disclosures, bringing to the top details on
information collected for e-mail, personalized search and other newer services
that require registration.
The fact that information may be shared among services is also moved to the
section describing the types of information collected.
Reflecting the fact that Google has been acquiring and partnering with more
companies, the policy now includes language on affiliated companies and sites,
though it did not specify what types of affiliates fall under those clauses.
"The affiliated sites may have different privacy practices and we encourage
you to read their privacy policies," Google warns.
Chris Hoofnagle, senior counsel with the Electronic Privacy Information
Center, said the changes do nothing to diminish his worries that Google is
amassing "quite a trove of transactional and personal data" through its various
services, which include e-mail, driving directions, photo-sharing, instant
messaging and Web journals.
Because storage is cheap, data from these services can be retained
practically forever.
Wong said Google could not set a general time limit on data retention because
needs vary by service.
Danny Sullivan, editor of the industry newsletter Search Engine Watch, said
that although Google can do more on disclosing how long it retains data, its
rivals are also guilty of saying too little.
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