German cartel watchdog objects to the way Google processes user data
Google users don't have enough choice over whether – and to what extent – they agree to"far-reaching processing of their data across services," Germany's competition regulator says, adding that the tech giant should change its"data processing" terms and practices.
"The choices offered so far, if any, are, in particular, not sufficiently transparent and too general," the federal cartel officeIt also noted the notorious propensity of users to click-click-click to make the boxes go away – and the engineering choices behind this, stating:"The choices offered must not be devised in a way that makes it easier for users to consent to the processing of data across services thanThey should also be allowed to"limit the processing of data to the...
The competition regulator sent an initial letter to Google on December 23, the day before everything shuts down for German Christmas, but the statement of objections gives Google the opportunity to state its own case, and offer commitments or suggestions to allay the Bundeskartellamt's concerns. If it's not sufficiently persuasive, Germany will officially prohibit Google from continuing the practice. It's expected to make a decision by the end of 2023.
Google Street View, for example, has blurred or blank spots across the streets of many German cities, and sometimes when you drag Peg Man into a street, there's nowhere for him to land. This is because the government insisted in 2010 that people be allowed to ask for their residences to be blurred or removed as a condition of letting Google operate Street View – and about a quarter of aopted out.
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