Google never fails to surprise me, and it’s not always in a good way.  Over the weekend, I received an e-mail informing me that Picnik, the photo editing service under Google, is no longer a stand-alone service but will be integrated in Google+ by April.  And when I opened my e-mail today, I was informed by Google that they’re changing their privacy policies, effective March 1, 2012.

Dear Google user,
We’re getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that’s a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.
We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.

So I clicked on the link and I was brought to a page with an overview of the changes.  Basically, Google’s new Privacy Policy just wants to inform people that their products will be more integrated and you have no control of data being shared between you and Google.  And if you can’t deal with it, just stop using their products and services, it’s that simple.  The only products/services excluded in the new policy are Chrome and Chrome OS, Books, and Wallet.

I noticed Google’s affinity for the word “may” in their policy.  It’s like Google’s saying, “We may get your information, or we may not, it depends, so don’t worry about.”  That’s concerning, if you agree with their policy, your data will be collected, shared through all their products and services and even third-party services and you can’t do anything about it.

Scrutinizing the Policies

And as expected, the new privacy policy is being scrutinized.  Gary Davis, Ireland’s deputy data- protection commissioner, stated that their agency will “be further assessing the implications of the changes now that they are launched to users.”

On the other hand, European Commissioner for Justice Vivian Reding, vice president of the EC and leading advocate for internet privacy and data protection laws, was delighted with Google’s new privacy policy.

“Google was quick. Even before the Commission decided on the new European law, Google made the first step in the direction of new privacy rules. I can only applaud the direction,” Reding said in a statement.

European Union’s New Web Policy

The European Union unveiled their new web privacy rules a day after Google’s updated policy. The new EU rules state that companies could be fined up to €1 million or 2% of global annual turnover if they breach new data protection rules, which now expands to companies handling data overseas such as Google Inc., Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Facebook.

“My proposals will help build trust in online services because people will be better informed about their rights and in more control of their information,” Reding said in a statement. “A strong, clear and uniform legal framework at EU level will help to unleash the potential of the Digital Single Market and foster economic growth, innovation and job creation.”

Mark Watts, data protection partner at technology law firm Bristows offers his view on the issue stating that this is a missed opportunity.

“The Commission had the opportunity to write a law that both protects consumers and which recognizes the reality of global data sharing and new technologies, such as social networking and cloud computing,” said Watts.  “Setting businesses an unachievable goal, whether they are European or the US technology giants that the Commission unfairly seems to be seeking to curb, is unhelpful in terms of compliance and frankly bad for consumers.”

To summarize, Google wants their users to agree to their new privacy policy to allow them to access user data and do what they want with it which raises privacy issues.  But the European Union’s new web rules side with web users, as they sharpened their claws so service providers like Google can’t abuse their power in handling users’ personal data. Does that make you feel all cozy inside?