In a letter to Congress to address inquiries, Google said its privacy policy changes last week aren’t all that new. The search giant isn’t collecting new information and is just combining some data to enhance the user experience.
Google said in its letter that it welcomed “the opportunity to correct some of the misconceptions that have been circulated about our updated privacy policy.”
Indeed, Google isn’t collecting new information. Nevertheless, there’s a scale issue with Google that can be scary as it connects information. One man’s user experience enhancement can be another person’s creepy. Congress—never one to shy away from a high-profile hearing—asked Google about its privacy policy changes.
Among Google’s key points were:
- The privacy policy changes still leave control with users.
- No new information is being collected.
- And users can take their data and go elsewhere.
Google noted:
Our updated privacy policy makes it clear in one comprehensive document that, if a user is signed in, we may combine information she has provided from one service with information from our other services. We’ll treat that user as a single entity across all our services, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience.
Will Congress back off? Technically, Google’s argument makes sense. It’s unclear whether legislators can refrain from garnering headlines though.
