[LINK] Google's Privacy Changes on 1 Mar 2012

[Roger Clarke]

This email summarises the position, internationally and in Australia, 
as at early 1 Mar in Australia and late afternoon 29 Feb in 
California.


INTERNATIONAL:

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                     E P I C   A l e r t
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Volume 19.04                                        February 29, 2012
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               - BREAKING NEWS ON GOOGLE AND PRIVACY -

- FTC Chairman: "Google Users Face a "Brutal Choice"

- Europeans: "Google's new policy does not meet the requirements
   of the European Directive on Data Protection."
 
<http://epic.org/2012/02/ftc-chairman-google-users-face.html>http://epic.org/2012/02/ftc-chairman-google-users-face.html

- EU and US Consumer Groups to Google: "This plan is a mistake"
 
<http://epic.org/2012/02/eu-and-us-consumer-groups-to-g.html>http://epic.org/2012/02/eu-and-us-consumer-groups-to-g.html

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AUSTRALIA:

The APF Policy Statement, issued back on 29 Jan, is in similar vein:
http://www.privacy.org.au/Papers/Google-TP12.html


And Australian regulators?

Exhibit 1:

The nominal consumer protection agency, ACCC, is asleep on the job, 
and after a month hasn't even been able to come up with a response to 
APF's letter:
http://www.privacy.org.au/Papers/ACCC-Google-120129.pdf


Exhibit 2:

APF wrote to the OAIC, incl. the Privacy Commissioner, on 30 Jan:
http://www.privacy.org.au/Papers/OAIC-Google-120129.pdf

OAIC got a letter to Google out the door on 28 Feb, 4 weeks later, 
with only about 36 hours left before Google's notice-period expired: 
http://www.privacy.gov.au/materials/types/other/view/7166

The letter mentions a mere fraction of the problems that APF identified.

And it's completely wishy-washy:  "It is not clear ... We would 
suggest that ... We would be interested to understand ...  We would 
question...  We would encourage ...  We would be interested if ... 
We would like to understand ...  I look forward to your response".

The letter went out on APPA letterhead (Asia-Pacific Privacy 
Authorities).  That's a sensible show of strength of numbers, 
effectively paralleling the European Article 29 Committee of Data 
Protection Commissioners.

But, with such mild expression, the letter is highly unlikely to be 
taken seriously by a company that's fighting off US Congressmen, FTC 
driven by EPIC, the Article 29 Committee, and the French regulator.


Exhibit 3:

>Australia absent in Google privacy feud
>Nigel Phair
>February 29, 2012 - 7:42AM
>http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-absent-in-google-privacy-feud-20120228-1u1g2.html


-- 
Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law               University of NSW
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University