FTC Tells Consumer Watchdog to Mind Its Own Business

The Electronic Privacy Information Center’s pleas to the Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize Google’s latest privacy policy changes have met with a curt “No, thanks.”

Last year, Google signed a consent decree with the FTC, promising not to make changes to the information it made public about its users without their consent. Last week, EPIC sued the FTC in Federal District Court in Washington, calling for it to investigate Google’s privacy policy changes. On Feb 17, the agency responded by saying that EPIC has no legal standing in the matter. It asked the court to dismiss the case. The agency’s response says nothing about the substance of the allegations. The agency reserves the right to scrutinize Google anyway and rule on whether it violated the consent decree it signed with the government last March. The FTC’s court filing simply tells the consumer group to mind its own business.