Google ordered by France to change its privacy policies

From CNET News.com: Google has three months to clean up its privacy act in France or else.

On Thursday, French regulator CNIL (Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertes) charged that Google's policies for collecting user data continue to violate French law. If the company doesn't modify those policies within the next three months, it would be fined 150,000 euros (almost $198,000). A second fine of 300,000 euros (almost $396,000) would follow if Google still fails to comply, Reuters reported.

From February to October of 2012, the CNIL led an investigation into Google's privacy policies to determine if they were in compliance with European law. Based on its findings, the group asked Google in October to revise its policies within four months. But Google has yet to made any "significant compliance measures," the CNIL charged.

If Google doesn't comply, it faces more than just the wrath of French regulators.

"By the end of July, all the authorities within the (EU data protection) task force will have taken coercive action against Google," CNIL President Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin said, according to Reuters.

As a result, the company potentially faces fines of several million euros across Europe.

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