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Data protection

August 18, 2010

Germans are traditionally keen on protecting their privacy, but the line between personal and public information is blurring and people are left wondering - and often nervous - about exactly who knows what about them.

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Image: Bilderbox

The private, personal character that makes online social networks appealing to people looking to stay in touch with friends and family is also leading data protection advocates from around the globe to criticize the sites.

Armed with some of Europe's most wide-reaching data protection laws, critics in Germany have accused social networks and other online sites of collecting and making commercial use of personal information without members' explicit permission - as required by law.

Google and Facebook are both under investigation in Germany, as well as other countries, for their privacy and data retention practices.

Deutsche Welle looks at the actions being taken against a number of Web sites and how Germans are using the Web and social media.

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Reports & Analysis

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18.08.2010 10 Uhr

Germany's coalition politicians are demanding that Google be forced to gather residents’ consent to have their homes displayed on its Street View product , rather than wait for them to object. The cabinet is discussing changes to the current law today that would require consent - with the Free Democrats saying an international corporation like Google should have to actively gather permission from residents, rather than simply giving them the chance to object. Google is facing a ground swell of public opposition to Streetview.
August 18, 201001:12 min
external

Are Google and telecom Verizon crafting an agreement that would limit how much data can flow on the internet for free?

Is it the end of the internet as we know it? Rumors are flying that two giants in the internet world, Google and telecom Verizon, are crafting an agreement that would limit how much data can flow on the internet for free. Google and Verizon say that is not the case. But free media proponents say the signs are there that the days of the free and open internet are numbered.
August 6, 201001:09 min
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