Brussels, 10/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - Google confirmed on Tuesday 9 September that it would halve the length of time it keeps personally identifiable data on its Web users: search histories (histories, IP addresses) will be cut from 18 to 9 months. Microsoft retains data for 18 months and Yahoo for 13. In April, the G29 (group of European data protection authorities) proposed that the time search engines can hold Web user data should be reduced to six months in Europe (see EUROPE 9639). Google says that it cannot go below nine months. It says that keeping data for any less than that time would lead to a deterioration in the quality of its engine and the protection afforded its users since analysing traffic meant that any problems on the Web could be located more quickly. Last year Google was criticised for its purchase of the online advertiser DoubleClick, and also when it launched its interactive photo “Street View” software. Now the internet navigator Chrome, launched by Google last week, has come in for fresh criticism that it was a further tool for Google to collect information. (B.C./transl.rt)