If the folks over at Privacy International are to be believed, then the answer is a resounding “yes.” A recent study by the reputable international watchdog agency rated Google as the least secure site among all major internet destinations. Among the issues that Google is being charged with are: “Failure to provide an expungement option for retained data; Failure to follow generally accepted privacy practices such as the OECD Privacy Guidelines and elements of EU data protection law; and unstated or indefinite length of time for data retention, without clear limitation on use or disclosure.” Yowza. Those are some pretty heavy accusations. Google’s response was pretty weak, with the company’s deputy general counsel, Nicole Wong saying simply that the company stands aggressively behind the privacy and security of its users and their information. Could you be any less specific? As Google expands into every possible realm of the internet, these concerns should be significant enough to warrant taking a long, hard look at your use of Google’s services. Kinda’.
