The Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information announced Thursday that it will join other European privacy regulators in taking action against Google over changes the company made to its privacy policy last year. As a first step of the formal action, the German data protection authority offered Google a hearing opportunity to comment on the allegations. Google was given until mid-August to make its case at a hearing with the Hamburg commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, Johannes Caspar. A similar procedure was followed by the French National Commission on Computing and Liberty (CNIL).

The European data protection authorities allege that Google's privacy policy violates the company's commitment to full transparency related to the use and handling of the data related to its users.

Spain's privacy regulator has als o notified Google of its intention to impose sanctions if Google does not comply with Spanish law.

French CNIL announced last month that it had given Google three months to respond to its complaints or face court action, after Google rejected requests to reverse changes it made to its privacy policy.