Google has promised to lower the amount of time search data is stored in the European Union from 18 months to 9. That is a 50% cut but why is this data needed for that long? According to Google this will hinder their "ability to improve its services by delivering more relevant search results and advertisements".
Like we need more of that.
Let's not forget Google's new browser, "Chrome". The EULA, (End User License Agreement) originally contained the following:
11. Content licence from you
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights that you already hold in Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content, you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.
Wait a minute! This means anything, and I mean anything, you do with this browser can be used by Google.
Here comes the privacy promise question again. Why do they need to store this data and how long will it be stored? After a storm of complaints, Google decided to change paragraph 11 to this:
11. Content license from you
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.
That's much better but still no answer as to why they need to store this data for 9 months.
All this just goes to show how much we Internet users need to be aware of a EULA's content and what privacy we give up when installing software or using an online service.
I love to read but those EULA's can get awful long. To better protect your privacy you might want to use a nice little program I use called EULAlyzer.
EULAlyzer can analyze license agreements in seconds, and provide a detailed listing of potentially interesting words and phrases. Discover if the software you're about to install displays pop-up ads, transmits personally identifiable information, uses unique identifiers to track you, or much much more.
Google has promised to get better. Only time will tell (hopefully less than 9 months).
With that info,
Safer Surfing!
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