Google disagrees with European privacy complaints

Eric Schmidt, Google's executive chairman, said that he respects but disagrees with complaints about his company's privacy policies made by data protection authorities in six European countries.

Schmidt said the company has "very broadly communicated" its policies to authorities in the countries where the complaints have been made. Data watchdogs in France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands have said Google needs to provide additional guarantees to comply with national privacy protection rules in each of those countries. "I have reviewed this. I just don't agree with the (data protection authorities) that are making this complaint ... With respect I just disagree and we just disagree, and we'll let it play itself out," Schmidt said.