Claims of Big Brother surveillance at Google

Bruno Waterfield

GOOGLE has been asked by European Union privacy watchdogs to explain why it stores personal information for two years.

There are concerns the search engine giant could become an internet Big Brother. Britain’s Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas, has teamed up with European colleagues to ask Google why so much data is stored and why it is kept for so long.

The EU privacy enforcers are concerned that Google may not have “fulfilled all the necessary requirements” to protect sensitive information on millions of individuals.

Google is storing information, including what search terms are used by individuals, unique user internet addresses, and detailed personal data contained in “cookies” — information sent between a web browser and server.

Privacy watchdogs fear that the data can be used to identify individuals and build detailed profiles of personal political opinions, religious beliefs and sexual behaviour.

Public concern is growing over the sheer scale of the data trail now left by people in their daily lives — from national ID cards to supermarket loyalty card information — and how it can be used. In the US alone, Google racked up 3.8 billion searches in April, which was 55 per cent of all searches made by Americans on the internet.

Google is stepping up efforts to steal a march on rivals by creating the most comprehensive database of personal information ever assembled, in a plan it says will enable it to offer tailored services.

But the company’s goal has raised fears of the emergence of an internet Big Brother and the handover of detailed personal information to security agencies.

However, Google’s privacy expert, Peter Fleischer, said the information it kept was secure, helped to prevent hackers and abuse, and was handed to police in “very limited circumstances”.

He noted that while Google pledged to strip stored information that could identify individuals after 18 to 24 months, other search engines, such as Microsoft and Yahoo, kept data indefinitely.

Mr Fleischer said users could also choose to opt out of personalised services. “If you don’t want to trust Google to provide these services, then don’t,” he said.

He added that Google was forbidden from giving details of the number of requests from security agencies.

“Neither we, nor anybody else, is allowed to give metrics,” Mr Fleischer said.

“We do receive requests on a routine basis.”

Mr Fleischer said the company would publish its response to the privacy concerns before a meeting of EU data protection chiefs on June 19.

Norway’s privacy enforcer, Datatilsynet, questioned why Google was storing information for so long.

“Eighteen to 24 months is, to our point of view, far too long,” it said.

“Even if the search engines cannot identify the person behind every IP (unique internet) address, people do leave behind their names and other personal information that make it possible to track who they are.”

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