Google Agrees to Settle FTC Claim Regarding Deceptive Privacy Practices

This article first appeared in Cyberlaw Currents, a Frankfurt Kurnit legal blog.

Google Inc. has agreed to settle FTC charges that it engaged in deceptive tactics and violated its own privacy pledges to consumers during the 2010 launch of its social network, Google Buzz. The proposed settlement requires that the company introduce a comprehensive privacy program to protect the privacy of consumers' information—a requirement never before mandated in an FTC settlement order. The proposed settlement also orders independent privacy audits for the next 20 years. This action also marks the first time that the FTC has claimed a violation of the privacy requirements of the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework, a voluntary program that serves as a scheme for U.S. companies to transfer personal data lawfully from the European Union to the United States.