Europe turns up the heat on Google's privacy policy.

• Position: PRIVACY

It's taken more than two years and two appeals, but a privacy class action suit filed against Google in 2012 will be moving ahead, at least in part. The suit was filed in response to Google's adoption of a single, unified policy that allowed it to commingle Android users' data across all accounts and to provide that data to third-party advertisers.

After evaluating each claim of each sub-class in the suit, a California court allowed two claims, which include U.S. users who acquired an Android device and downloaded at least one application through the Android Market or Google Play between August 19, 2004, and the present, to proceed. Claims filed by users who acquired an Android device between May 1, 2010, and February 29, 2012, lout switched to a non-Android device on or after March 1, 2012, were dismissed.

According to IDG News, the claims allowed include one that alleges Google breached its contract with the users by disclosing data to third parties following every download or app purchase. A second claim is filed under California's Unfair Competition Law.

European Union member countries also have taken Google to task over the 2012 policy change. Although Google has made changes to the offending policy, European data protection regulators are not satisfied. Italy...