Google defends search policy
Search Engines
08 April 2008
Search engine Google has defended its data retention policy after an EU privacy body warned its methods could be unlawful.
The Article 29 Working Party claimed the company's safeguard policies did not do enough to protect users' data and there were no reasons for it to store cookies past six months.
Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel, disagreed with its findings.
"We believe that data retention requirements have to take into account the need to provide quality products and services for users, like accurate search results, as well as system security and integrity concerns," he said.
He also opposed its claim that Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, which can identify each computer, counted as personal data.
Mr Fleischer explained: "Based on our own analysis, we believe that whether or not an IP address is personal data depends on how the data is being used."
Google has previously agreed to reduce the period it records cookies, to 18 months. However, search rival, Ask.com, now offers users tools to remove their data from its records.
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