Google has been slow to make any of the changes it promised regarding collection and storage of private user data, reports The Financial Times.

At issue are cookies, which are dropped on user's computers. Cookies track web activity and are used to deliver targeted ads. Last year, Google said it would consider revising its cookie policy to alleviate privacy concerns.

Privacy advocates worried a combined Google/DoubleClick entity would have access to too much user data. Google assured them it would look into less invasive cookie technology. The merger was approved last month.

CEO Eric Schmidt says the regulatory approval process prevented Google and DoubleClick from tackling the issue in tangent. He also says the problem is not quite as simple as the company thought.

Cookies are currently foundational to behavioral ad targeting, touted as beneficial for users and advertisers alike. But others find it intrusive and a violation of privacy.