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Dutch regulator says Google's privacy policy breaks the law

Almost two years after it updated its privacy policy, Google is still facing the wrath of European watchdogs. The Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) has just ended a seven-month investigation into the search giant's practices and, similar to rulings in the UK and France, has deduced that Google isn't doing enough to inform users about the data it "collects and combines." The DPA accuses Google of spinning an "invisible web of our personal data without our consent" with its Search, Gmail and YouTube services, which it states in no uncertain terms "is forbidden by law." It's another knock for Google, which has found itself under investigation by a total of six European privacy authorities after French privacy regulator CNIL initiated action on their behalf last year. Google has said that it "respects European law," but its commitment will be tested at the Dutch DPA's upcoming hearing, after which the authority will decide it wants to take "enforcement measures" against the company.