EU officials warn Google on search data retention

"Despite recent changes in Google’s data-retention policy, data protection officials from 27 European countries have written to Google warning that the search giant may be in breach European privacy rules because of the way it stores data on individual searches.

Google previously kept consumers’ data as long as it was needed. The company now plans to keep server log data, but will enhance the ability to make it anonymous after 18 to 24 months.

EU spokesman Pietro Petrucci said the group, which advises the European Commission and EU governments on data protection issues, wants Google to address concerns about the company’s practice of storing and retaining user information for up to two years, and whether the company had “fulfilled all the necessary requirements” on data protection." -- Read more

Related to that, BelfastTelegraph.co.uk reports:

"Internet search engine Google plans to target people's interests using data collected on its users Lesley-Anne Henry asks: is this the next logical step or the thin end of the orwellian wedge

Google's declaration of intent to assemble the most comprehensive database of personal information has thrown down the gauntlet to civil libertarians.

The multi-billion pound search engine claims it wants to "better" the internet experience by organising the world's information and collating data on its users so it can guess what customers are searching for."