ICO investigating Google after cookie claims

 

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By Stewart Mitchell

Posted on 22 Feb 2012 at 11:01

The ICO is looking into the way Google deals with cookies following revelations that the search giant was bypassing privacy protection methods in Internet Explorer and Safari.

The company has come under fire in recent days because it appeared to be employing advertising cookies despite users asking via their browsers for the tracking files not to be dropped on their computers.

A spokesperson for the ICO told PC Pro that the watchdog had contacted the company to ask for more details about the reports that it circumvented privacy measure included in both browsers.

“We have asked Google to explain the situation,” a spokesperson told PC Pro. “We are aware of this issue and are continuing to make enquiries with Google to ensure that they comply with the Data Protection Act and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations."

Google has accepted that both reports were true, blaming the Safari example on a mistake and saying the system used by Microsoft was outdated.

"Microsoft uses a 'self-declaration' protocol (known as 'P3P') dating from 2002 under which Microsoft asks websites to represent their privacy practices in machine-readable form," the company said. “Today the Microsoft policy is widely non-operational."