Lawmakers largely from the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to Google demanding to know how its announced plans to consolidate and share data across all its services will effect user privacy:
Google’s consolidation of its privacy policies potentially touches billions of people worldwide.As an Internet giant, Google has a responsibility to protect the privacy of its users. Therefore, we are writing to learn why Google feels that these changes are necessary, and what steps are being taken to ensure the protection of consumers’ privacy rights.
While Google suggests that the purpose of this shift in policy is to make the consumer experience simpler, we want to make sure it does not make protecting consumer privacy more complicated.
The letter was signed by Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Joe Barton (R-Texas), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) and Jackie Speier (D-Calif.). They asked for a response by Feb 16.
In a separate statement, Rep. Markey asked for a probe by the Federal Trade Commission as to whether the change violates Google’s recent settlement with the agency.
Lawmakers grill Google on privacy – The Hill’s Hillicon Valley.