Video game Bulletstorm will be released in heavily-censored form in Germany. Regulators will remove several features from the full version, including blood, dismemberment and “ragdoll effects”. This censorship will be imposed even though the game has attracted a USK18+ certificate. Germany has previously considered introducing a national ban on violent games, but this plan was ultimately aborted.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Britain’s privacy watchdog, has reopened its investigation into Google Street View after the company admitted it copied personal data. Google is facing similar pressures from privacy watchdogs in other countries, including Spain, Germany, and Canada. In May, the ICO had investigated revelations that Google had gathered unprotected information but it concluded that no “significant” personal details had been collected. The renewed scrutiny stems from Google’s admission, following analysis by other privacy bodies, that they had harvested more information than previously thought.
Over 7,500 people joined a rally in Berlin on 12 September to appeal for greater data privacy. The demonstration expressed concerns about a government database that will collect information about wages, taxes and social payments. Under the banner “Liberty instead of Fear!” they also denounced a new agreement that allows US authorities to access European banking data for anti-terror investigations.
A proposed data privacy law could prevent companies from checking potential employees’ Facebook profiles. Employers will be allowed to search applicants on Google, but the use of social networking sites in the selection process will be banned. The new legislation will also require companies to notify employees about any monitoring of telephone calls or emails. The German cabinet is set to approve the law on 25 August.