Google Proposes Global Privacy Standard

Google Proposes Global Privacy Standard

http://www.nytimes.com/cnet/

CNET

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Google is leading a move to create a global privacy standard for how companies protect consumer data, and is recommending that remedies focus on whether a person was actually harmed by having the information exposed.  Google’s proposed global privacy framework is designed to promote a practical approach to enable accountability in the flow of data, while preventing impediments to trade.  The nine principles of the framework are: preventing harm; integrity of personal information; notice; security safeguards; collection limitations; access and correction; uses of personal information; accountability; and choice.

Google’s proposed framework has faced criticism from several outlets.   A privacy advocate has dismissed the move as an attempt by Google to appear sensitive to privacy issues amid government scrutiny of its proposed $3.1 billion acquisition of online-ad firm DoubleClick.  Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, called the move “the weakest international framework for privacy protection, far below what the Europeans require or what is allowed for trans-Atlantic transfers between Europe and the U.S.," particularly because it focuses on the need to show harm to the consumer.

This article relates to our class discussion of Jack Goldsmith and Timothy Wu’s “Digital Borders” essay.  Google’s recommendation to focus on whether a person was actually harmed by having the information exposed will be particularly difficult since people in different places disagree about what types of information they deem harmful.  These differences are reflected in different national laws, values, governments and cultures.  As mentioned in Goldsmith and Wu’s essay, an Internet that accommodates these differences is a more effective and useful communication tool than one that does not.  Google’s statement that it “believes we need to work together to create minimum global standards, partly by law and partly by self-regulation,” demonstrates that it may not anticipate the difficulty in accommodating the national differences discussed by Goldsmith and Wu.

Comments

[James Vinocur]

This seems to me like Google trying to be proactive and find a solution to an ever-growing barrage of criticism before it attracts the attention of Congress. Clearly Google has an intense interest in personal information: this is how they make their money. The more detailed info they can obtain, the better they can tailor their searches, targeted ad's, etc. This seems like a smart move on their part, even if somewhat disingenuous.