Google to make search logs anonymous

[whocares]

Under the new policy, server logs will still be retained but will be "anonymised" after 18 to 24 months so that they can't be identified with individual users

oogle will start making its records about users' searches anonymous after 18 to 24 months under a policy announced this week.

Until now, the dominant search company has indefinitely retained a log of every search, with identifiers that can associate it with a particular computer. The new policy, to be implemented within the next year, is intended to better protect users' privacy, two executives wrote in a Google blog entry posted Wednesday.

Privacy advocates have raised alarms over search providers and other internet companies retaining information about users' activities because that data could be subpoenaed by law enforcement, be lost by the provider, or fall into the hands of hackers.

Under the new policy, unless Google is legally required to retain them longer, server logs will still be retained but will be "anonymised" after 18 to 24 months so that they can't be identified with individual users, according to the blog entry. It was written by Peter Fleischer, Google's privacy counsel for Europe, and Nicole Wong, the company's deputy general counsel. Engineers are working out the technical details now, they wrote.

Google keeps the server logs so it can improve services and protect them from abuse and security threats, the company said. Each search record includes the query, IP (Internet Protocol) addresses and cookie details.

link (http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/BA7A8F6400B3CE73CC25729F0016164C)

So? What do you think of this? Personally, I see no problem with it. Although, I must say that I can see why using google search logs and the such to find potential criminals can be very useful as well.

[deballedtomcat]

I don't like the idea of even keeping search logs for even a single day,and beleive that they should be anonymous form the very beginning.

I can see where various government agencies could use your search history against you,even if you have done nothing wrong or looked for information that they might not want you to have.

Big Brother is closer than you think.

[csite]

Welcome to the e-information age!

When i go and shop at tescos they ask me if i have a tesco club card, i give them my card and recently i found that they keep every single bit of information about me on that card, everything i bought from tescos and all my personal details, then they use that to send me special offer vouchers on the things i usually buy and i suppose it gives them a good idea on what they sell most to customers.

Now google keeps search logs both for marketing and security reasons. Internet crime is constantly growing and as far as im concerned you shouldn't have a problem with it if youre not doing anything wrong. All this nonsense about your freedom is bs. Noone lives in a true free society, even the internet has laws and its policed. Without some level of control society falls apart. I live in the UK, the average guy has their pic taken something like couple of hundred times per day by security cameras and i dont see anyone complain.

All search engines i know store information about you, even ebaumsworld has your details! they know where you login from, your name and address and phone number if youre a premium user as you paid via paypal! they know your operating system type, browser, screen resolution and how much time you spend here and much more.

[Cousin Eddie]

I don't like the idea of even keeping search logs for even a single day,and beleive that they should be anonymous form the very beginning. .

Completely agree with this! ^^^

When I read the article the other day.... i was shocked that they will be kept for 2 years! :mad: THAT kinda pisses me off!

All the more reason to "borrow" someone's wifi connection.

[Mr. Heskey]

It doesn't matter to me because I don't search illegal things to begin with.

[rand0m]

Since when has this affected us anyway?

[Mr. Heskey]

Since when has this affected us anyway?

It shouldn't affect you...unless your a criminal.

[alex_de_large]

It shouldn't affect you...unless your a criminal.

But by the same logic, if you are not a criminal how dare they think they have the right to examine your online activities. Even if it is something small like say I visit a pro-liberal website frequently, the fact that someone could even get my political affiliation (which to some people is personal) is WRONG.

Now I know that a lot of people will say "Do you honestly think they will waste their time on someone that has done nothing wrong? There are millions of internet users after all"

My answer is NO, but they could if they wanted to, and THAT is what irritates me.

[deballedtomcat]

It shouldn't affect you...unless your a criminal.

Okay,suppose you are innocent of a crime,lets just say rape right off the top of my head,and you are innocent.Completely innocent.But some overjealous official finds that you frequent porn sites,and uses that information against you at your trial.

Or suppose you get accused of a "hate crime",violent or even non violent,and it comes out that you have "googled" things suc as KKK,**********,white power,etc?Dosn't lok too good on you when that comes out,does it?

One could go on and on with scenarios,and someone else could refute those sceanarios and we would get nowhere but in a pointless argument,but unless someone is allready suspected of a crime or of being a danger to ntional security,there is no difference between keeping search engine records and wiretapping of someones telephones.

I fail to see how intelligent people cannot see that.

[Spike Lee]

It shouldn't affect you...unless your a criminal.

Since when has this affected us anyway?

Or what is to stop the information to be sent to corporations and the government. Privacy. You may not care what people see in your window but I do.

[Rapex]

Sweet, now the feds won't be able to track my child/beastiality searches on the internet.

[Mr. Heskey]

Okay,suppose you are innocent of a crime,lets just say rape right off the top of my head,and you are innocent.Completely innocent.But some overjealous official finds that you frequent porn sites,and uses that information against you at your trial.

Or suppose you get accused of a "hate crime",violent or even non violent,and it comes out that you have "googled" things suc as KKK,**********,white power,etc?Dosn't lok too good on you when that comes out,does it?

One could go on and on with scenarios,and someone else could refute those sceanarios and we would get nowhere but in a pointless argument,but unless someone is allready suspected of a crime or of being a danger to ntional security,there is no difference between keeping search engine records and wiretapping of someones telephones.

I fail to see how intelligent people cannot see that.


Point taken.