European consumer organizations believe that Google is misleading consumers to persuade them to use their personal data.
Several organizations, united in the European umbrella BEUC, have filed a complaint with their privacy watchdogs. This mainly concerns how Google has designed its registration process.
When signing up for an account, Google offers multiple choices for allowing data use by the US company. However, according to the consumer organizations, the texts that Google uses are “unclear, incomplete and misleading”.
The options that offer more privacy are also described as offering fewer benefits. “This hinders the consumer in making an informed choice.”
Google denies the allegations, saying the choices are “clearly defined” and “designed to be easily understood.” “We just want these choices to be simple and clear.”