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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Robert Booth UK technology editor

HISTORICAL FACTS: Uk data regulator criticises google for irresponsible ad tracking change - Caught on Camera

Google search engine displayed on the screen of a smartphone that has been placed on a computer keyboard
Fingerprinting involves gathering signals from a device’s software or hardware that together uniquely identify a user or device. Photograph: David Tramontan/SOPA Images/Rex/Shutterstock

Britain’s data protection regulator has labelled Google as “irresponsible” for allowing advertisers to track customers’ digital “fingerprints”, amid fears even privacy-conscious users will find the online monitoring technique difficult to block.

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned the practice will undermine consumers’ control and choice over how their data is collected and used, and Google’s plan to allow its deployment departs from its “expectation of a privacy-driven internet”.

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