Google Responds To EPIC Lawsuit

Earlier this afternoon we brought you news that the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) had filed suit against the FTC to block the rollout of Google’s new privacy policy. EPIC claims that the new policy violates a consent order entered into by Google in October 2011. That order dealt with Google Buzz, and prevented Google from combining user data. EPIC is seeking a preliminary injunction and a restraining order preventing Google’s new privacy policy from going into effect on the 1st of March as planned.

Not long after the earlier story ran, Google responded to my request for comment. Here’s what a Google spokesperson had to say:

We take privacy very seriously. We’re happy to engage in constructive conversations about our updated Privacy Policy but EPIC is wrong on the facts and the law.

We’re keeping your private information private — we’re not changing how any personal information is shared outside of Google.

We’ve undertaken the most extensive notification effort in Google’s history to ensure that users have many opportunities and ample time to learn about our Privacy Policy changes. And we’re continuing to offer choice and control over how people use Google services.

We’ve created a world-class privacy compliance program, as we’re confident our third-party assessments will demonstrate.

The response is a little short on specifics – i.e., Google doesn’t explain how “EPIC is wrong on the facts and the law” – and the bullet points are similar to the one’s we’ve seen here and here, and the statement Google made here. Reading between the lines, it looks like Google thinks all the hubbub over their new privacy policy is much ado about nothing. Personally, I’m inclined to agree.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

There are 4 Comments. Add Yours.

Joe
February 9, 2012 at 3:52 pm

I didn’t even read your article past the first three sentences. I just don’t trust Google or believe anything they have to say anymore as they repeat the same ole and tiresome BS. They are going to destroy YouTube too soon. The government needs to break them up.
GP Public
February 9, 2012 at 10:03 pm

It is public interest that google should maintain a “symbiotic relationship” with webmasters. It is becuase millions of webmasters create websites that google exists, this clearly means without webmasters there is no scope for google. Webmasters and websites do not exist becuase of google before google also they existed, is proof enough.

Organizations like EPIC should campaign to ban google adwords advertisements above the SERP. Search engines exist becuase of websites and websites do not exist becuase of search engines. So search engines has social and morale responsibility to display relevant search results. By allowing search engines to display advertisements above SERP will give them evil intensive to manipulate search results. With google we are already observing this manipulation.

Search engines can still profitably display advertisements on the right side bar, by only allowing advertisements on side bars the evil incentive for manipulating the search results will drastically decrease.

Governments and other organizations should “force” search engines to follow symbiotic relationship with websites, becuase without websites search engines cannot exist whereas without search engines websites can exist.
Superdante
February 9, 2012 at 11:37 pm

EPIC browsers still i havent used !!!
scott brown
February 10, 2012 at 1:52 am

I love Google. But the do no evil motto is wearing thin with me.
Does anyone really trust 100% all of Googles intentions.
Facebook is a scam I am on it but trust it less than Google.
I love MicroSoft but again Itrust no big company ina any field not just Tec.