Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Google is changing the data controller for its UK user data to Google LLC, placing the data under the jurisdiction of US regulators, the company announced today. The change is being made due to the UK’s exit from the EU, which has created uncertainty around the future of data protection regulation in the country. Alongside the changes, Google is also updating its terms of service for users worldwide, which it says will make them easier for its users to understand.
Since 2019, shortly after Europe’s GDPR privacy rules were enacted, the official service provider and data controller for UK users had been Google’s Irish subsidiary. According to Reuters, the change in data controller could have implications for the extent of legal protection…