UK data watchdog 'looking into' Google+ mission creep

[raelynne]

UK data watchdog 'looking into' Google+ mission creep

Exclusive Blighty's Information Commissioner's Office is currently "looking into" Google's recent ID verification rejig, The Register has learned.

I'll be looking for the results of this with interest. The UK and European courts have been previously successful in standing up to Big IT Business, so I'm hopeful they can do it again.

Comments

[quinfirefrorefiddle]

Hi, here from seekergeek's post.

It sounds to me like they're deleting some private profiles for rules violations, not just deleting all private profiles. Also, there's this:

Horowitz said he wanted to "debunk myths" about what some see as a downright creepy ID verification shift at Mountain View, by saying his company "aspired" to have "great solutions" for the likes of "teenagers" and "disadvantaged populations".

But such an aspiration clearly isn't good at yielding revenues, as Google's money-shy YouTube has demonstrated only too well.

He added that other Google accounts would not suffer the same suspension state as Google+, if an individual violates the firm's common name policy.

In other words, Gmail, Calendar, Blogger, etc all remain active. The one thing he failed to mention: New sign-ups to these services won't be able to do so anonymously anymore.