Spreading: re Google + in the EU
Originally posted here
David Gerard: Jay Blanc originally shared this post:
Apparently confirmed. If Google force a European Account Holder to have a public Google Profile with their "real name" on it, they are BREAKING THE LAW. Read below. US account holders should write a letter to Larry Page and the Board of Google to pressure them into changing their policy. https://plus.google.com/u/0/106055159954550860573/posts/U5u4WYpF7uc
If you're an EU Google Account holder, you can write a complaint to your local Google offices, then if they fail to reply and take corrective action, take them to your EU nation's information commission. You can find their offices here - http://www.google.com/intl/en/about/corporate/company/address.html so start the letter writing.
Just checking over this, but it does look like "Google Profiles" breaches european privacy law, specifically "The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003"'s section 18 on directories of subscribers. Basically, anyone running a communications service in the EU who publishes a public directory, has to allow subscribers an opt-out from this directory or allow them to be entirely selective as to what if any information is published about them.
Update: As Google operate Gmail and Gtalk services to EU subscribers, they are covered by this legislation. It does look airtight, Google are required by EU law to allow the subscribe full control over what is and is not made public on their profile. And they may even require google to make their profile entirely private.
Please re-share this.
Update 2: I have contacted the Data Commissioner's office, and have been instructed I do appear to have a legitimate grounds for complaint against Google, as does any other EU account holder, and I should write a written complaint to their offices at
Data Protection Officer
Google London
Google UK Ltd
Belgrave House
76 Buckingham Palace Road
London SW1W 9TQ
United Kingdom
The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003
These Regulations implement Articles 2, 4, 5(3), 6 to 13, 15 and 16 of Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and...
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David Gerard: Jay Blanc originally shared this post:
Apparently confirmed. If Google force a European Account Holder to have a public Google Profile with their "real name" on it, they are BREAKING THE LAW. Read below. US account holders should write a letter to Larry Page and the Board of Google to pressure them into changing their policy. https://plus.google.com/u/0/106055159954550860573/posts/U5u4WYpF7uc
If you're an EU Google Account holder, you can write a complaint to your local Google offices, then if they fail to reply and take corrective action, take them to your EU nation's information commission. You can find their offices here - http://www.google.com/intl/en/about/corporate/company/address.html so start the letter writing.
Just checking over this, but it does look like "Google Profiles" breaches european privacy law, specifically "The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003"'s section 18 on directories of subscribers. Basically, anyone running a communications service in the EU who publishes a public directory, has to allow subscribers an opt-out from this directory or allow them to be entirely selective as to what if any information is published about them.
Update: As Google operate Gmail and Gtalk services to EU subscribers, they are covered by this legislation. It does look airtight, Google are required by EU law to allow the subscribe full control over what is and is not made public on their profile. And they may even require google to make their profile entirely private.
Please re-share this.
Update 2: I have contacted the Data Commissioner's office, and have been instructed I do appear to have a legitimate grounds for complaint against Google, as does any other EU account holder, and I should write a written complaint to their offices at
Data Protection Officer
Google London
Google UK Ltd
Belgrave House
76 Buckingham Palace Road
London SW1W 9TQ
United Kingdom
The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003
These Regulations implement Articles 2, 4, 5(3), 6 to 13, 15 and 16 of Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and...
=========================