June 9, 2007 2:27 PM PDT
Watchdog group flunks Google on privacy practices
Posted by Michelle Meyers
C/Net
In what looks to be brewing into a mutual smear campaign, London-based Privacy International has ranked Google among the worst top Internet sites for privacy protection, and Google is reportedly taking the watchdog group to task.

Privacy International isn't scheduled to officially release its report ranking privacy performance of the top sites until 7 p.m. EDT Saturday. But the Associated Press and other media outlets, who apparently got sneak previews, are reporting that Privacy International assigned Google its lowest possible grade, a category reserved for companies with "comprehensive consumer surveillance and entrenched hostility to privacy."

None of the 22 other companies surveyed--including Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL--sunk to that level, the AP said. The story goes on to quote Google's deputy general counsel who was disappointed with the report, "which is based on numerous inaccuracies and misunderstandings about our services." More

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