Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft do not comply with the European Union’s Directive 95/46/EC on the protection of personal data. This is the essence of a letter sent by the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, on 26 May, to the three major search engine operators. WP29 demands that these companies reduce to six months the period during which they store data before they are made anonymous. Furthermore, the working party claims the methods used do not guarantee adequate anonymisation (see box). WP29 also calls for an independent audit of the three internet giants.
Copies of the three letters were also sent to Viviane Reding, the EU’s justice, fundamental rights and citizenship commissioner, and to the US Federal Trade Commission.
This is not the first time Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! have been asked to answer for their data protection policies. In March 2008, WP29 had issued a detailed opinion about search engines with regard to the EU directive on the topic. The advisory body had, already then, recommended a shortened retention period for personal data. Some improvements in terms of data protection had ensued but they were not deemed enough by the WP29, whence the new letter.
For more: 28/05/2010 Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft do not comply with directive
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