14 DAY TRIAL // Google is finding itself in need of defending once again. Its privacy policy changes have created a lot of stir and, much like competitors trying to latch onto the confusion for their own gain, politicians too feel they can score an easy point or two with their voters if they sound "worried" about Google's planned changes.
US lawmakers grilled a couple of Google execs over the changes in a closed-door session, but they didn't walk out happy.
Apparently, they believe that Google didn't provide straight answers to the questions. More of these hearings are to be expected.
Across the pond, EU privacy regulators are now asking Google to delay the switch to the new unified privacy policy while they review the changes to make sure they're for the best.
"Given the wide range of services you offer, and popularity of these services, changes in your privacy policy may affect many citizens in most or all of the EU member states," the Article 29 Working Party, a group representing privacy regulators in all member states, wrote in a letter to Google CEO Larry Page.
"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," the letter asks.
That may sound like a reasonable request, Google is a large company, its privacy policies are large documents, so maybe the group really needs time.
However, privacy regulators were briefed of the changes weeks in advance of Google's announcement. They had ample time to raise concerns. They had none, Google says.
As such, Google won't back down now, after it has already launched the biggest awareness campaign in history. No doubt you have seen the notifications in Google Search, YouTube, Gmail and so on, on desktop and mobiles.
It is interesting how only now, after the matter has become very public that regulators decided to investigate it. It would be their duty to have done so when Google first notified them. By their own admittance, they haven't or they haven't done a very good job at it.