Marketing Pilgrim

Google’s policy of retaining user information for up to two years, has become the center of an investigation by an EU panel, according to the AP.

EU spokesman Pietro Petrucci said Friday that the 28-member panel, which advises the European Commission and EU governments on data protection issues, wants Google to address concerns about the company’s practice of storing and retaining user information for up to two years.

“This group has addressed a letter to Google raising a number of questions,” Petrucci said, adding that EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini was backing the investigation.

Google only recently changed their policy on how long it keeps, and what it does with, personal data but has still faced investigation for its practices.

Google, of course, maintains they are doing every thing necessary to protect privacy.

Peter Fleischer, Google’s global privacy counsel, said the company was doing a lot to protect personal data gathered from users on its search engine.

“We believe it’s an important part of our commitment to respect user privacy while balancing a number of important factors, such as maintaining security and preventing fraud and abuse,” Fleischer said. He added that Google was “committed to engaging in a constructive dialogue.”

Google is expected to answer the EU before their next meeting in June.

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