Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has been facing a lot of pressure from governments of different countries to regulate its search data and share or delete useful information. The most recent development in this regard is an order by a German regulator saying that Google needs to put sanctions how its user data is combined, which could become a source of finding users’ personal information such as sexual orientation, marital status and other preferences.
An email from the privacy watchdog of Hamburg, Johannes Caspar stated that Google, the internet search giant, was strictly asked to make changes to its privacy policies; these changes should allow the users to decide how data that is related to them can be used. According to Caspar, Google’s current privacy policy that was originally drafted back in 2012 allows the search giant to use and combine user data acquired from different platforms, including Gmail.
The German regulator believes that Google’s current policy allows the company to track and gather user activity across the internet and information such as financial and social status, sexual orientation and other aspects such as friendships and martial or relationship status.
The German regulator believes that the type of information Google combines through its different services can easily create a complete personal profile of an individual user.
This is certainly not the first time for Google. Previously Google was asked by French and Italian regulators to modify its privacy and user policies.
Google has become a favorite target of European internet regulatory authorities because of its user data protection policies. Larry Page, Google Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer was approached by the European Union regulators with a request to modify the search engine’s privacy policy.
Google has been in the hot seat for more than one aspects of data security. It was also under pressure from EU to delete outdated content related to individuals. The company had to take a lot of brunt for resisting the court ruling that went against company’s efforts to keep the data online. It was criticized for being a bully and greedy.
Google also came forward with its response to the order and said that the company is in the process of reviewing the issued order.
A spokesperson representing Google, Klaas Flechsig, said that the company had done everything to cooperate with the German regulator. Google even tried to prove that its privacy policies help to provide a better user experience to its users.
According to Caspar, Google agreed to a few modifications to the privacy policy. However it did not make any changes in its profiling. This was the main reason that forced Caspar to proceed with a formal order.
It is not a secret anymore that companies such as Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) track and use user activity to gather personal information for meeting their advertising goals. It allows them to target their marketing campaigns and advertisements at the right target audience. Internet users have become so dependent on these internet giants that they have no other option but to accept these policies; it has come to a point where a user does not even take 10 minutes to read their privacy policies.
