Privacy International Slams Google

GOOGLE is watching you. London-based watchdog Privacy International compared the world’s top 22 web destinations (Yahoo! Msn, Anorak etc.) and says Google is “achieving status as an endemic threat to privacy”.

SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc.’s privacy practices are the worst among the Internet’s top destinations, according to a watchdog group seeking to intensify the recent focus on how the online search leader handles personal information about its users.

In a report released today, London-based Privacy International assigned Google its lowest possible grade. The category is reserved for companies with “comprehensive consumer surveillance and entrenched hostility to privacy.”

Says Google:

“We are disappointed with Privacy International’s report, which is based on numerous inaccuracies and misunderstandings about our services,” said Nicole Wong, Google’s deputy general counsel.

“It’s a shame that Privacy International decided to publish its report before we had an opportunity to discuss our privacy practices with them.”

Says the report, quoting Privacy International’s group director:

Privacy International is particularly troubled by Google’s ability to match data gathered by its search engine with information collected from other services such as e-mail, instant messaging and maps.

“Under the microscope, it turns out that Google is doing much more with our data than we ever imagined,” Davies said.

But then Google knows all about Mr Davies and what he thinks, doesn’t it?

Anorak

Posted: 11th, June 2007 | In: Twitterings Comment | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink