EU: Google privacy changes 'not enough'

BRUSSELS, June 18 (UPI) -- European privacy regulators said Internet search engine Google's latest efforts to improve data privacy protection measures are "not enough."

European Union privacy officials expressed concern about Google's practice of retaining an individual's Internet searches and "cookies" -- identifier programs on computers -- saying the data could be used to identify individuals or create preference profiles, the Financial Times reported Monday.

"The main problems we have raised have not all been solved and there is still room for discussion on this," a statement from the German federal commissioner for data protection and freedom of information, which has headed the European Union's examination of Google's data policies.

Google, headquartered in California, offered to reduce the amount of time it retains search data from two years to 18 months and to set cookies to expire after two years instead of 30 years.

The working group of national officials advising the European Union on privacy issues is expected to review Google's proposals this week.