Google has pledged a raft of measures to improve the protection of the privacy of its users, including external audits of its handling of personal data for 20 years, under a landmark settlement with the US trade regulator.
The internet company has also promised to obtain consumer consent for any increased sharing of data collected from its consumers and to study the protection of it.
Analysts said the settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission of a complaint raised over the launch of a social networking service called Google Buzz, was the most significant struck by the regulator with an internet company and could set a precedent for another inquiry into Facebook.