EU welcomes Google’s move to halve IP retention period

12 September 2008

BRUSSELS — European Union officials in Brussels on Wednesday said Google’s decision to halve the amount of time it stores internet users’ personal data is "a good step in the right direction".

The search engine giant announced this week that it would be storing unique PC addresses, known as Internet Protocol (IP) numbers, for nine months rather than 18.

The move comes on the back of growing pressure from the EU, which is seeking to protect its citizen’s privacy and would like internet search engines to retain users’ personal data for a maximum of six months.

The EU’s top justice official, Commissioner Jacques Barrot, in a statement called Google’s decision a "move towards compliance with European privacy principles and EU data protection laws".

Google says it uses and stores IP addresses and search queries to improve its services.

Privacy advocates argue that such information could be misused.

[dpa / Expatica]