EU launches privacy probe into Google's search engine
An independent panel of the European Union (EU) has launched a probe into whether U.S.-based Google Inc.'s Internet search engine violates EU privacy rules, local media reported Saturday.
In a letter to Google, the panel, made up of representatives from EU member nations, demanded clarification about the company's practice of storing and retaining personal information taken from users for up to two years, said a spokesman for the European Commission.
Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel, said the company attaches importance to the protection of personal data from users on its search engine.
