RSSGoogle searches to become slightly more anonymous
March 15th, 2007 by 
Adam
The BBC reports that Google searches are now to become slightly more anonymous. Put quite simply, Google have now clarified the length of time that they will keep traceable data such as IP addresses and Cookie details with each individual search term. As I’ve previously reported, Google currently keep a detailed record of every single search term made with their search engine and log the IP address of the searcher along with other data that is held in a cookie on the user’s system. Google could then call up all search terms entered by referencing either an IP address or cookie information.
Google have now announced that they will only retain this data for between 18 and 24 months before discarding it and making the historical data anonymous. According to a Google spokesperson:
“By anonymising our server logs after 18 to 24 months, we think we’re striking the right balance between two goals: continuing to improve Google’s services for you, while providing more transparency and certainty about our retention practices”
The only time Google will be holding onto user data for longer than the published time is if it’s legally required to do so by a law enforcement agency. Now, as a web-user who takes privacy issues quite seriously, I think this is an extremely large step in the correct direction. Not because the data is retained generally, but because Google seem to have widely publicised exactly what they will do with their search data. It will now be far clearer to users of the search engine what data is kept when they use the service and for how long. I personally believe that this is the most important step - by releasing this information, it is up to the users to decide what they do and don’t us, and it is up to them to decide how much of their privacy they are willing to sacrifice when using a website.
Posted in Privacy | 
March 17th, 2007 at 12:11 am
Well i’m glad to hear that. Hope it continues to work out for you.
April 1st, 2007 at 1:36 am
have a look at this news at http://www.grc.com/dos/grcdos.htm
April 1st, 2007 at 11:11 am
Wow! That’s a long story, and certainly gives you a good insight into how hackers and basic trojans work. Amazing what a simple free firewall can save you from!
However, it raises some really interesting issues with regards to your privacy and security on the internet. The fact that the author of the story was able to spend a few hours researching then be able to intercept conversations on the internet, find usernames and passwords and so on with relative ease shows you just how insecure an environment the web really is. While it may not have been the main point of the story, these issues highlight a real need for secure communication any time you are transferring any sensitive data at all. It’s clear that it’s not just the government you should be afraid of (in fact, if this story is to be believed, you’re less likely to be being watched by the government than some random hacker!), but anyone who has a little time and inclination to monitor your communication and steal personal data.
The real moral: the internet is not a safe place to communicate without security… and you are never truly anonymous and un-traceable.