EU regulator asks Google to hang fire on privacy changes

EU regulator asks Google to hang fire on privacy changes
EU - less aggressive

Google's new one-stop-shop privacy policy continues to cause trouble for the search engine, as one EU regulatory body asks it to 'pause' the plans.

The EU's Data Protection Working Party is investigating the changes and has written to Google's CEO Larry Page asking for more time to examine the new policy before it comes into effect.

Google is set to combine its privacy guidelines for most of its various products into one over-arching privacy policy, but it has come under fire for giving itself the ability to track users' data across different products.

Pause for thought

The Data Protection Working Party's letter explains, "We call for a pause in the interests of ensuring that there can be no misunderstanding about Google's commitments to information rights of their users and EU citizens, until we have completed our analysis".

"We wish to check the possible consequences for the protection of the personal data of these citizens in a coordinated way."

The scrutiny should come as no surprise to Google, as Sophos' Graham Cluley told TechRadar: "Google has been dragged over the coals by privacy regulators in the past, and chances are that these changes will also be scrutinised by the powers that be."

Shows what we know - according to a source speaking to the Telegraph, Google was surprised to receive the letter although this mysterious Googler went on to say that "the tone of its letter was significantly less aggressive than those Google has received in the past".

The new privacy policy is set to come into effect on 1 March.

From The Telegraph

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.