Google gets privacy 'to-do' list from watchdog

Google introduced Privacy Stories in an attempt to educate users about its policies

Google has been handed a list of suggestions for improving privacy on its services by the UK's Information Commissioner.

Among its findings, the ICO recommended expanding a programme of educational videos for users.

Google had promised reforms last year after it emerged that Street View cars had collected sensitive wi-fi data.

While the latest audit was broadly positive, it warned that a similar breach could happen again.

The search firm was praised for improving staff training and introducing a Privacy Design Document (PDD) which lays out privacy guidelines and safeguards for engineers working on new products.

However, the report also said that PDD needed to be more widely rolled-out across the company.

The ICO welcomed the introduction of Privacy Stories, a series of text and video tutorials, aimed at users, outlining why the search giant collects user data in relation to different products, such as GMail and Google+.

Privacy Stories already covers 28 different products, but the ICO's report called for it to be extended to all of Google's offerings.

The company welcomed the Information Commissioner's findings.

In a blog post, Alma Whitten, Google's director of privacy, product and engineering, wrote: "We know that there is no perfect solution, so we will continue to improve our current processes and develop new ones so that privacy awareness grows and evolves alongside Google. "