Google fails to make the grade on privacy

GOOGLE’S privacy practices are the worst among the internet’s top destinations, a watchdog group said at the weekend.

London-based Privacy International assigned Google its lowest possible grade, reserved for companies with “comprehensive consumer surveillance and entrenched hostility to privacy”.

None of the 22 other surveyed companies, including Yahoo, Microsoft and Apple, sank to that level.

While a number of other internet companies have troubling policies, none comes as close as Google to “achieving status as an endemic threat to privacy”, the group said.

In a statement from one of its lawyers, Google said it aggressively protects its users’ privacy and stands behind its track record. In its most conspicuous defence of user privacy, Google last year successfully fought a US Justice Department subpoena demanding to review millions of search requests.

Google’s deputy general counsel Nicole Wong said: “We are disappointed with Privacy International’s report, which is based on numerous inaccuracies and misunderstandings about our services. It’s a shame that Privacy International decided to publish its report before we had an opportunity to discuss our privacy practices with them.”

Privacy International contacted Google but didn’t receive a response, said Simon Davies, the group’s director.

AOL, Apple, Facebook.com, Hi5.com, Reunion. com, Yahoo and Microsoft’s Windows Live Space received the second-lowest grade of “substantial and comprehensive privacy threats”.