FTC Urged to Examine Google's In-store Tracking

In the US, privacy watchdog the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urging it to halt Google's tracking of consumers' in-store purchases.

In May, it was reported that Google was using billions of credit-card transaction records to show that its online ads are prompting consumers to make purchases - including when those purchases take place off-line in brick-and-mortar stores. At the time, privacy advocates warned that few people understood that their purchases were being analyzed in this way.

EPIC is now asking the FTC to investigate Google's tracking system, which links transactional and personal data to the activity of Internet users. EPIC claims Google refuses to reveal details of the algorithm that 'deidentifies' consumers while tracking their purchases, and wants the FTC to halt this tracking while it is determined whether Google adequately protects consumer privacy. EPIC President Marc Rotenberg (pictured) comments: 'Google claims that they don't know who the users are, that they are being de-identified. We want the FTC to take a closer look'.

In the past, EPIC has filed several successful FTC complaints, leading to investigations into changes to Facebook's privacy preferences, and into the launch of Google Buzz.

Web site: www.epic.org .