European data watchdog threatens Google over privacy policies

European data protection regulators have warned they will press ahead with action against Google over its privacy policies, after the firm failed to meet a deadline to inform the watchdogs how they proposed to meet their concerns.

The Article 29 Working Party (G29) which has oversees data protection agencies across Europe will meet at the end of the month to confirm the next steps.

“After a four months deadline that was granted to Google in order to comply with the European data protection regulation and to implement effectively G29's recommendations, no answer has been given,” The Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), said in a statement.

The CNIL first began investigating Google's privacy policies after the firm announced it was to integrate more than 60 separate policies into a single document – changes the CNIL had warned may be against European data protection laws.

The two then engaged in several months of back and forth exchanges on the ramifications of the policy changes.

But the CNIL remains unimpressed with Google's response.

“Google did not provide any precise and effective answers to their recommendations,” it said.

Google responded and said that it was aware of its obligations and was working to meet them.

"Our privacy policy respects European law and allows us to create simpler, more effective services<" a spokesperson said in a statement.

"We have engaged fully with the CNIL throughout this process, and we’ll continue to do so going forward."