A Google senior executive said Tuesday that the Internet search company is “building stronger controls” to safeguard privacy after it admitted to accidentally collecting personal data around the world with its Google Street View program.

Initial testimonies begin today as Peter Fleischer and three other Google executives face criminal charges in Italy.

By Swartz, Nikki In an effort to quell recent criticism from privacy watchdogs and the European Union, Google announced it would reduce the length of time it retains web users' search histories to 18 months rather than 24 months.

By Michael Liedtke SAN FRANCISCO -- Drawing upon its clout as the Internet's most powerful company, Google Inc. is calling on businesses and regulators throughout the world to adopt international standards for protecting consumer privacy online and offline.

Google has urged governments and private businesses to adopt a basic set of global Internet privacy rules. Without such standards, the health of the Internet is at risk, Peter Fleischer, the search site's privacy chief told a U.N. conference in Strasbourg, France.