Searching for Google’s Privacy Policy
michaelzimmer.org:
As we know, Google refuses to place a link to its privacy policy on either its homepage or search results pages. It has been pointed out (thanks, Chris) that the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003 requires the operator of a commercial Web site that collects personal information about users to “conspicuously post its privacy policy on its Web site.” When asked about this by the NY Times, Google responds, in part, that “because the privacy policy is easily found by using the search box on the home page, we comply with this statute.”
I’ve already noted the cruel irony in Google’s logic that users are forced to use a service that tracks and records their activity in order to find information about how that service might track and record their activity. But how easily is Google’s privacy policy found by simply using the search box?
Like most navigational search queries, if you know what you’re looking for, you can find it right away. A search for Google privacy policy provides a link to Google’s Privacy Center as the first result, and a link to the privacy policy itself as the 2nd result. Interestingly, this search has one sponsored result in the right-hand column, also a link to Google’s Privacy Center. (It would be interesting to know if Google prohibits bidding for these keywords.)
Now, if you’re a little less specific, and only search for privacy policy, the top-most result (highlighted in a pale yellow) is a sponsored link for a legal documentation company selling privacy policy agreements (only $14.95!). The first and second organic results are the same as above: the Google Privacy Center and then the policy itself.
So far, Google seems to be correct that if a user searches for privacy policy, the should be able to find Google’s own…