Google tells FTC of progress on privacy

Amid controversy over its plans to combine user data from search to YouTube, Google told the Federal Trade Commission in a self-assessment report that the upcoming changes in its privacy policy are fully in compliance with the company’s settlement with the federal government last year.

The report — delivered to the FTC in January — lays out the steps the company has taken internally to make sure it complies with the FTC’s consent decree finalized in November over the firm’s privacy policies. Google says the efforts represent “exceptional lengths” by the company to keep users informed how the Internet firm collects, uses and shares information. Part of Google’s settlement involving its now-defunct Buzz social network includes 20 years of assessments of the firm’s privacy policies from an outside auditor. In the document, Google said it has hired PriceWaterhouseCoopers to provide the assessments, which will be made every other year starting this summer. "Google's report makes clear that the company failed to comply with the obligations set out in the consent order, particularly with respect to the changes announced on Jan. 24, 2012. It is clear that the Federal Trade Commission will need to act,” said Electronic Privacy Information Center Executive Director Marc Rotenberg.