Thursday, May 24, 2012

Google refuses to cooperate with national European information

If it depends on the search giant, the French organ that conducts research for the European Union concerning the activities of Google will not receive a response even on the modus operandi of search technology and data collection company made. Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, the president of the CNIL agency, sent a letter to Google in the U.S. which basically says that Google is difficult and does not answer a number of issues raised by the agency.


The letter to Google, very polite, in fact, reveals that "for a number of reasons, the evidence provided does not give accurate answers, clear and understandable to our questions." Isabelle wrote on Tuesday, May 22, and Larry Page, Google's current CEO, as a recipient. The executive says that "many responses provide examples without describing the exact procedures, processes or systems that Google actually operates."


Privacy Policy
From what we see, Google is not particularly inclined to cooperate with the investigations of the European body that aim to better understand how Google handles user information. As usual, questions hover about the millions of users search, Gmail, Google + social networking and other products of the company.

In April this year, Google responded to the CNIL questioning the legality of the French demand it of such an investigation on behalf of other EU countries where the law applies to the review procedures of Google. Google also asks what are the procedures of investigation and what is your ultimate goal.

In the message to the CEO, the team developed the CNIL comments for each of the responses previously provided by Google and deemed insufficient by the technicians. They ask for more information to the subjects covered.

For example, Google did not know how many users accessed the page with the new privacy policy, effective from March 1, from 24/5 and 1/3. "Given the extensive development and use of analysis tools," the CNIL actually asks if the Internet company does not have those numbers to pass to the organ. And believe me, this is just one of the absurdities contained in the document. You can query it here.

Of course Google has every right to refuse to provide details on the operation of its services until the CNIL and European authorities have evidence that research foundation and legal value for the citizens of the community. Still, it is curious that not responding to nothing when questions pop up on the privacy of users - registered or not.

Some people do not see a problem in an organization know as much about our lives. Not totally agree with the statement, but respect. The problem is for the silence in determining what Google - as well as other Internet companies - know about us. We live increasingly connected. The least we can know is how much we are exposed to computers and algorithms of private companies.