Google would argue that it does not need to make the privacy policy it has any easier to find, after all you only have to click the 'About Google' link on the homepage and then go and click the 'Privacy Policy' link that can be found at the foot of the page that consequently opens. Indeed, that is exactly what a Google spokeswoman has said and she insists that there are no plans to change the privacy link positioning. Yet an open letter demanding just that has been sent to Google, drafted by US consumer and privacy groups. The signatories to the letter point out that a prominent homepage privacy link is, in fact, a requirement under California law and even where a legislative demand does not exist the practise has become hugely commonplace amongst commercial online businesses.

The letter is addressed to Eric Schmidt, the Google CEO, and urges him to comply with the California Online Privacy Protection Act "as soon as possible." With signatories including the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, World Privacy Forum, Consumer Action, Electronic Frontier Foundation, ACLU of Northern California and Consumer Federation of California this is no Mickey Mouse group of campaigners. The full text of the open letter can be found here.