Lawmakers question Google CEO over privacy changes

Several lawmakers sent a letter to Google chief executive Larry Page, asking if new changes to the company’s privacy policy give users enough control over their data and adequately protect consumers. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), chairman of the House subcommittee on oversight and investigations, and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), ranking member of the House Commerce Committee, were among the lawmakers who asked Page to explain the search engine giant’s new policy.

“Google’s announcement raises questions about whether consumers can opt-out of the new data sharing system either globally or on a product-by-product basis,” the lawmakers wrote. “We believe that consumers should have the ability to opt-out of data collection when they are not comfortable with a company’s terms of service and that the ability to exercise that choice should be simple and straightforward.” The eight lawmakers who signed onto the letter asked Page to describe all information it collects from users now and how that would change after March 1. They asked Page to detail the security measures that were taken with user data after hackers hit Gmail accounts, including those of some White House staff members, last June. And they were also concerned about privacy protections for teenagers and how Android phone users are affected by the changes. The lawmakers asked Page to respond to their questions by Feb. 16.

Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), co-chair of the Congressional privacy caucus, also signed onto the letter. He said separately in a statement that he will ask the Federal Trade Commission whether the company violated promises made in a settlement with the agency last year. The firm was charged with violating consumer protection laws by spilling the contacts lists of Gmail users to people on its now-defunct social network, Google Buzz.

Google said in a statement that its looks forward to answering questions and “clarifying misconceptions about our privacy policy changes.”