Google Hires for Privacy Red Team

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Google has begun hiring for a crack team of data experts to help resolve privacy complaints, following the $22.5m fine it had to pay the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) after issues relating to the Safari browser.

News that the search giant is recruiting a new privacy division codenamed "red team" broke on Wednesday when Google posted a job ad looking for data engineers.

"As a data privacy engineer at Google you will help ensure that our products are designed to the highest standards and are operated in a manner that protects the privacy of our users," read the job post.

"Specifically, you will work as a member of our Privacy Red Team to independently identify, research and help resolve potential privacy risks across all of our products, services and business processes in place today."

At the time of publishing Google had not responded to V3's request for comment on its new Red Team.

Nevertheless, it suggests the firm is aware of its requirement to be more proactive in dealing with potential security issues as it has been blighted by several high-profile cases in recent years.

The firm is currently embroiled in numerous cases relating to its Street View service after it was found to have gather public Wi-Fi information, and has also failed to delete the data it promised to destroy.

Google also greed to pay a $22.5m fine to settle charges that the company misled users about the company's use of behaviour-tracking cookies in August.

The fine was issued by the FTC, which claimed Safari web browser users were served with cookies when visiting Google sites, circumventing the browser's privacy settings.

"The record setting penalty in this matter sends a clear message to all companies under an FTC privacy order," said FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz at the time.

"No matter how big or small, all companies must abide by FTC orders against them and keep their privacy promises to consumers, or they will end up paying many times what it would have cost to comply in the first place."

This article was originally published on V3.