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Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 2909
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 9:29 am: | 
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The big issue to me about this is not the government subpoena. It is that Google, Yahoo, and all the other search engines maintain detailed records of all searches, with personal identifying information. I am not surprised that they would keep this to try to make money, but with all the misuse of information and theft of credit card files and hacker attacks and potential for blackmail, I am surprised no one is screaming at Google and Yahoo and MSN about this practice. I may not trust the government with my personal information, but I trust these companies even less. I have to rethink my use of search engines. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 8448
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 12:34 pm: |
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Just don't accept cookies. No cookies, no tracking. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2269
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 12:38 pm: |
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Actually, I believe they are simply using your IP address, not tracking your actual activity once you leave their sites. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 8449
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 12:40 pm: |
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It's pretty much all cookie based. Go look at your cookies now. You'll likely find Google among them, and MS, and etc. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2270
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 12:54 pm: |
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But they can get your IP address regardless of any cookies. Even if you turn off cookies, your computer sends your IP adderess with every HTTP request. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2271
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 12:55 pm: |
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Turn off cookies and go here.. http://www.whatismyip.com/ |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2272
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 12:57 pm: |
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Besides, the gov't is claiming it is only trying to find out how often people search for pornography (cough, cough). So personally identifiable info should not even be necessary. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 8450
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 1:02 pm: |
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Comcast and many ISPs assign dynamic IPs. AOL uses proxy servers. IPs are less useful than cookies. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2273
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 2:37 pm: |
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A cookie doesn't give them any information that you don't give them yourself. Aside from storing info that they already have, or that you provide, how does a cookie provide personally identifiable info?
Dynamic IPs can be traced. Comcast might issue dynamic IPs, but if you stay connected with a router or something similar, your IP address almost never changes. Either way, I don't see what personally identifiable info Google can have on me that I don't give them willingly. |
JMF
Citizen
Username: Jmf
Post Number: 229
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 3:02 pm: |
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Rastro...
How about seaching through anonymouse.org?
http://anonymouse.org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en
small popup on each page you load. |
Foj
Citizen
Username: Foger
Post Number: 899
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 11:05 pm: |
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Yahoo has already complied and google says they wont. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 2277
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 11:26 pm: |
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No a privacy issue
Quote:The Justice Department said on Friday that America Online, Yahoo and Microsoft had all complied with similar requests.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales rejected concerns that the subpoena might violate individual privacy rights.
"We're not asking for the identity of Americans. We simply want to have some subject matter information with respect to these communications. This is important for the
Department of Justice and we will pursue this matter," he told reporters.
A Google spokesperson said the company objected to the breadth of the government's request but did not consider it to be a privacy issue since the search terms would not include personally identifiable details.
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Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 2920
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 8:06 am: |
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This time. So they say. |
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