Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is again likely to be fined for breaching user privacy rights in Netherlands according to the local data protection department. This is among one of the strings of legal troubles faced by the Internet giant in Europe. The search engine company is forced to close its Google News service in Spain.
According to the Data Protection Authority (DPA) of Netherlands, the search engine company is violating data protection act in using private information of its users including their location and browsing history without seeking any consent.
Jacob Kohnstamm, Dutch DPA chairman, said, “This has been ongoing since 2012 and we hope our patience will no longer be tested.” In addition to it, the privacy guidelines released by Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) in 2012 are already under investigation in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Britain.
As of now, Google uses cookies to track user search activity, third-party tracking, and emails to offer relevant advertisements to the customers. According to the current practices, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) simply informs its users about the privacy change without seeking any consent whatsoever. The Dutch protection agency is against the current practice and states that it is against the current laws.
The authority has given a timeline of up to February next year to comply with the rules or the authority might impose a fine of up to $18 million on the search engine company.
In addition to it, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has been forced by the Spanish authorities to close their Google News site in the country or pay the publishers for using snippets in their feed. The search engine company has responded in a similar manner stating that it will take out Spanish publishers from its major international services and would shut down the service in Spain. The company will implement these plans prior to the deadline of January 2015 given by the Spanish authorities.
This article has been written by Prakash Pandey.
Google Inc (GOOGL) Shutting Spanish News Site Over “Google Tax”
