[BBC] Spain levies maximum fine over Google privacy policy

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Google has been fined 900,000 euros (£751,000) for breaking Spanish data protection laws. The fine is the maximum it is possible to levy on a firm that has broken the nation’s privacy laws. It was imposed after Google changed its privacy policy and started combining personal information across its online services. Google said it had co-operated with the Spanish inquiry and would act once it had seen the agency’s full report. […]

The “highly ambiguous” language Google employed on its privacy policy pages made it hard for people to find out what would happen to their data, said the agency in a statement. Google also kept data for too long and made it far too hard for people to delete data or manage the information they surrendered. […]

The search giant could also face further action from other European data protection bodies. In late November, the Netherlands data protection authority said Google’s 2012 policy change also broke its laws. France is also believed to be contemplating levying a fine over Google’s data handling policies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25461353