UK Asks Google To Make Its Privacy Policy More Transparent

Privacy is suddenly a huge concern for everyone, thanks to the Snowden leaks which show that users virtually have no privacy online. Now, the UK authorities want Google to simplify its privacy policy and make it more transparent so that users can easily understand it.


Google

While Google has explicitly denied any participation in PRISM or NSA’s other wiretapping measure, the company is the largest internet entity and thus, the concern of the users is well-placed.

Google has unified all its policies of all services into a single mass policy, apparently on the hope that this would simplify things for the users. However, this had made things all the more difficult, which is why the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has asked the company to redo the privacy policy.

According to the statement issued by ICO, “In particular, we believe that the updated policy does not provide sufficient information to enable UK users of Google’s services to understand how their data will be used across all of the company’s products.

Google must now amend their privacy policy to make it more informative for individual service users. Failure to take the necessary action to improve the policies compliance with the Data Protection Act by 20 September will leave the company open to the possibility of formal enforcement action.”

Google, on the other hand, maintains that its privacy policy is very transparent and that it would strive further to make it even more so, “Our privacy policy respects European law and allows us to create simpler, more effective services. We have engaged fully with the authorities involved throughout this process, and we’ll continue to do so going forward.”

Courtesy: Macgasm

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Salman

Salman Latif is a software engineer with a specific interest in social media, big data and real-world solutions using the two.Other than that, he is a bit of a gypsy. He also writes in his own blog. You can find him on Google+ and Twitter .

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