Groups including the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the Consumer Federation of America and the Center for Digital Democracy are encouraging members of the public to call for additions to the proposed settlement, . The FTC has asked for public comments on the proposed settlement by May 2.

The proposed settlement requires Google to implement a comprehensive privacy program across its product line, the first time the FTC has required a company to implement such a program. The scope of the settlement gives people concerned about online privacy a historic chance to gain protections, said Marc Rotenberg, EPIC's executive director.

"The FTC is now in the position to essentially mandate a comprehensive privacy policy for Google, the largest provider of Internet services," Rotenberg said. "That's what makes this historic."

The public comments will send "a much larger message to all online companies about honoring their privacy policies," said Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Public comments will also inform Congress as it debates online privacy bills introduced this year, she said.

The privacy groups, in a new campaign, are encouraging users of Google services to call for the FTC to put limits on the length of time Google can keep personal data, to prohibit Google from sharing data about users of its Books product, and to encrypt personal data it stores in the cloud.