EPIC Urges FTC To Investigate Google Services

snydeq writes "The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a 15-page complaint asking the FTC to force Google to stop offering online services that collect data until the presence of adequate privacy safeguards is verified. The EPIC also wants Google to disclose all data loss or breach incidents, citing several incidents where data held by Google was at risk, the most recent of which occurred earlier this month with its Google Docs. The EPIC complaint [PDF] also listed other security flaws in Gmail and Google Desktop, a desktop indexing program, and urged Google to donate $5 million to a public fund that will support research into technologies such as encryption, data anonymization and mobile location privacy." EPIC has raised privacy concerns about Google before, and about Windows XP as well.

Comments

Google collecting data?!

[the cleaner]

Really?! Does that mean I have to remove all my mail from GMail?!

Re:Google collecting data?!

[vancondo]

Really?! Does that mean I have to remove all my mail from GMail?!

Yes, from here on out it is recommended that you channel all of your personal correspondence through facebook. They'll keep it safe for ever and ever, or at least until the robot uprising.

Once the robot uprising starts it is recommended you limit your personal correspondence to smoke signals generate by burning piles of plastic bags.

Just be careful, the robots can smell fear.

--
vancouvercondo.info

It is way too dangerous to use Google's products

[Anonymous Coward]

Stick with Microsoft if you want security.

Re:Uh huh...

[jsrlepage]

Probably from the government.

Prepare for an EPIC FAIL !!

[Anonymous Coward]

You Fail, Epic !!

No 5M for you !!

It's never safe.

[Hoyty1]

I just live with the assumption that everyone is reading my documents and information. That's why I write everything important on paper! Good old paper... Kindle will never replace you...

Re:It's never safe.

[Big Hairy Ian]

There are a number of exploits for paper based storage. Amongst the most commonly used are Photocopiers & Fax machines. In the end no storage medium is absolutely safe.

Re:EPIC fail, you mean

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, these days, even EPIC could use a little bit of a bailout. As an AIG employee, it seems like a perfectly reasonable request to me. We cannot allow privacy groups to fail.

Gears

[crumbz]

Epic should stop f*cking around with Google and get back to work on Gears of War 3 already..... Really, what is Phoenix supposed to do next, now that the Locust Horde has been *temporarily* stopped.

Re:The real reason...

[__aasqbs9791]

I'll have to remember that the next time I'm making a budget.

me: "And now for the IT budget for the upcoming quarter, my forecast shows we need $pi million dol..."

PHB: "What?"

me: "That's $3,141,592.65, but a short, easier way to say it."

PHB: not quite under breath: "Damn geeks."

Re:Again, Nah.

[girlintraining]

Because you need one to stand on?

No, it's just that I have to be somewhere in an hour and it's going to be hard to get into the car with a wrinkled troll with giant teeth still attached to my leg, hissing and drooling.