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| Following news that Google refused to comply with a subpoena requiring the company to turn over search records from its database, much speculation swirled about the response from rivals MSN and Yahoo. MSN has broken its silence and now acknowledges that it did share search data, but no personal information.
The subpoena was handed down by the U.S. Department of Justice last summer, and was reportedly issued to gather data to support a child protection law that was struck down two years ago by the Supreme Court. Under that law, the government could punish pornography sites that made content easily accessible to minors. Microsoft's MSN division says it worked hard to limit the request to data that followed its principals of protecting customer privacy. "The applicable parties to the case received this data, and the parties agreed that the information specific to this case would remain confidential. Specifically, we produced a random sample of pages from our index and some aggregated query logs that listed queries and how often they occurred," explained MSN Search general manager Ken Moss. Moss added that, "Absolutely no personal data was involved," and said the government was only able to see how frequently a query term occurred. The data did not allow officials to look up IP address or see if a user who searched one term also searched another. In its own response, Google contends that supplying the information would violate the privacy of its users, as well as divulge trade secrets that could help its competitors. Company officials said they plan to fight the request, calling it "overreaching." "We tried to strike the right balance in a very sensitive matter. Now that you have more information, you can be the judge," MSN's Moss said. But some users disagreed with that assessment. "What if on the basis of the results you have given them, they subpoena you to produce IP details of specific queries that they find questionable?" wrote one MSN user. "This is a cop out and our privacy has been thrown out of the door and a window opened on our searches for all to see." |
MSN Admits to Sharing Search Data
I'd tell the government to build thier own search engine if they want to know so much.
If the privacy laws cannot be taylored to protect a simple search entries then how can important information be protected.
Im watching and waiting for the day I simply unplug from the net completely knowing that nothing will be safe.
Peace,
Atomic
If the privacy laws cannot be taylored to protect a simple search entries then how can important information be protected.
Im watching and waiting for the day I simply unplug from the net completely knowing that nothing will be safe.
Peace,
Atomic
I think that GOOGLE is the only company that cares about it's customers!
MSN gave our information without any second thought! they should be baned!
only google don't let the goverment check our private information-
All the Respect to GOOGLE!
MSN gave our information without any second thought! they should be baned!
only google don't let the goverment check our private information-
All the Respect to GOOGLE!
Knowing that MSN is owned by Microsoft, I am hardly surprised to read that they handed over search data, and even if they say that it would not be possible to uniquely identify a user based on that data, how can we know for certain. Besides, it really does sound like a copout.
Google has stood their ground despite the risks, and that must surely increase their status and value in the eyes of Internet users everywhere. There is a fundamental difference in the way the two companies are run, and so far I can only complement Google on their approach to things.
This also brings Privacy Statements into focus - how many companies have privacy policies, and when they do, how rustworthy are they really?
A lot of users trust privacy statements. I have personally found that after signing up with a particular website, I would suddenly get an increase in junk mail. Mere coincidence? I think not. Worse, for the last three days, the junk mails I have been receiving have had viruses attached - and the attachments all have my first name appended - like MYNAME.ZIP or myname_info.zip.
Just goes to show - the Internet is an information jungle - so keep your eyes open!
Google has stood their ground despite the risks, and that must surely increase their status and value in the eyes of Internet users everywhere. There is a fundamental difference in the way the two companies are run, and so far I can only complement Google on their approach to things.
This also brings Privacy Statements into focus - how many companies have privacy policies, and when they do, how rustworthy are they really?
A lot of users trust privacy statements. I have personally found that after signing up with a particular website, I would suddenly get an increase in junk mail. Mere coincidence? I think not. Worse, for the last three days, the junk mails I have been receiving have had viruses attached - and the attachments all have my first name appended - like MYNAME.ZIP or myname_info.zip.
Just goes to show - the Internet is an information jungle - so keep your eyes open!
I think privacy policies are really just taking advantage of gullible people who think that just because they have one the site must be a good, honest site. But then again, couldn't the issue be brought before courts if a website infringies on the privacy rights that it stated it would protect?
| atomictoyz wrote: |
| I'd tell the government to build thier own search engine if they want to know so much. |
They already do, it's called the Department of Justice - FBI Computer Crimes Division, CARNIVORE Program. Pretty darned effective too.
| Vrythramax wrote: | ||
They already do, it's called the Department of Justice - FBI Computer Crimes Division, CARNIVORE Program. Pretty darned effective too. |
Love the frihost Myhost banner inyour sign.
Comming back to the subject, it is true that surfing nowadays requires a good level of knowledge to avoid being spammed all the time and to avoid getting viruses. There exist sites that creates mails just for one occasion in few clicks:
http://www.mailexpire.com/ (for example)
It receives all the mails and sends them top your real mail account till the temporary mail expires. It s really useful when you are not sure of the people you are giving your mail to !
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