Google to change privacy rules after ICO findings

Google has been forced to change its privacy rules after it was slammed for illegally leaving people in the dark about how their personal details were collected and used, Mail Online reported.

According to the UK's data protection watchdog the internet search giant was 'too vague' about the vast amounts of information being gathered about web users.

The firm has agreed to change its policies and make it easier of internet users to find out how their data was gathered and stored after pressure from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

The internet search giant was ordered to rewrite its privacy policy after data protection watchdog ordered it to make its guidelines clearer, after finding them 'too vague' and 'baffling' for ordinary people.

The development comes two years after the ICO ruled the company's guidelines needed to be overhauled as they were baffling and did not comply with UK laws.

Google faced a £500,000 fine or a court order unless it signed a formal undertaking that it would begin making the changes by 30 June.

Privacy campaigners had raised serious concerns over the customer data collection methods deployed by online companies, particularly search engines and social media sites such as Facebook.

The deal comes after an investigation by the regulator, BBC reported, adding similar reviews were continuing elsewhere in Europe.

It was understood that Google would enter into similar deal with other European regulators.

The regulator, along with its European counterparts, undertook a review of the Mountain View firm after its controversial privacy policy update in March 2012, which combined 70 existing documents.

The ICO was joined by other data regulators, which formed the European Article 29 Data Protection Working Party.

Following the investigation, Google had agreed to ensure that its privacy policy was more accessible and allowed users to find its controls more easily.

It would also provide "unambiguous and comprehensive information regarding data processing, including an exhaustive list of the types of data processed by Google and the purposes for which data is processed".

Among other clarifications, Google would be required to include information about who might collect "anonymous identifiers" - which are similar to cookies - and the purposes to which they put that data.