Google privacy policy under fire

Google's new privacy policy, set to take effect on March 1, is under increasing fire. Today, 36 attorneys general sent a letter to Google CEO Larry Page asking for a meeting and a re-thinking of a policy they say will leave consumers vulnerable to identity theft.

“We are concerned that Google’s new policy may threaten the ability of each user to keep certain aspects of their online history private,” Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a statement. “Today, the threat of identity theft is everywhere and we want to ensure that Google provides appropriate protection by giving consumers meaningful choices in determining how and when they share their personal information.”

Under the new policy, Google will be able to combine user information from all of its products, including YouTube, without consumers being able to opt out - unless they cancel their accounts.

The attorneys general told Google that by collecting so much personal information, the company is leaving users far more vulnerable to identity theft.

"Our offices litigate cases of identity fraud with regularity and it seems plain to us that Google’s privacy policy changes, which suggest your company’s intent to create richer personal data profiles, pose the risk of much more damaging cases of identity theft and fraud when that data is compromised, a risk that will grow as instances of computer hacking grow. With this newly consolidated bank of personal data, we foresee potentially more severe problems arising from any data breach,” the letter to Google said.

They noted the new Google policy will make Android phone users particularly vulnerable since they operate on a Google-based platform.

Here's the list of states and territories that signed the letter: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, and Washington.