Google Likes To Keep Its Privacy Policies Semi-Private

Posted by Eriq Gardner

Google likes to keep its home page fresh and simple. But does minimalism violate California's privacy code?

Saul Hansell of the NYT points out that Google's refusal to put a link to its privacy policy on the home page could run afoul of a legal obligation towards disclosure. Websites that collect personal information about users are obligated to disclose privacy policies prominently. These policies are published three clicks away from its home page on the "About Google" page.

Perhaps a silly gotcha, but Chris Hoofnagle, a senior fellow with the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, concurs that Google is in violation.