Search Sites Unveil Privacy Plans

Klaidas sends us word of BBC coverage of action on privacy by the top four search sites. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Ask have introduced plans to reduce the data they store and how long they store it. From the article: "The rush to improve privacy policies was started by Google in March when it announced it would start deleting the final parts of the individual address it collects from each user's computer after 18 months... Microsoft is expected to make a similar announcement to separate the identifying address and other data from searches after 18 months. The information will be held for longer if users request it. Yahoo said it would delete identifying addresses and cookies after 13 months... Ask is taking the most radical step by unveiling plans for a tool called AskEraser which, it claims, will let people tune whether data is gathered about them on a search-by-search basis."

Comments

Wasn't it the EU?

[ThatsNotPudding]

"The rush to improve privacy policies was started by Google in March when it announced it would start deleting the final parts of the individual address it collects from each user's computer after 18 months..."

Umm, wasn't it because the EU forced Google to change their policies?

I certainly hope the AskEraser turns out to be solid as I would switch for good, but I'm prepared to be disappointed.

Re:Wasn't it the EU?

[TubeSteak]

I certainly hope the AskEraser turns out to be solid as I would switch for good, but I'm prepared to be disappointed. AskEraser seems like the only one that will actually accomplish its goal.

They're really going to throw away your search information, not just 'anonymize' it.

Everyone else is hedging their bet with weasel words like "legally compelled to do so." Which means the government can wave some legal papers around and your data is retained indefinitely.

Poppycock

[Eighty7]

Buried as innacurate. Nobody uses Ask.com

Re:Poppycock

[Penguinshit]

I had to Google them to find out who they were....

Re:OK - that's the front end

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, take a look at which one of them already basically said "fuck you" to the government when they were asked for search results.

As much as people like to say "OMG Google is killing my privacy!" they're the only ones who have shown that they won't bend over for someone who wants your information.

New "privacy" policy

[iminplaya]

1) You didn't have any then
2) You won't get any now
3) You'll never know if we keep your stuff or not
4) Just try and prove anything
5) You're a sucker if you believe we actually abide by some silly "privacy" policy
6) Hahahahaha...

Re:New "privacy" policy

[wizzahd]

here, I fixed it for you:

1) You didn't have any then
2) You won't get any now
3) You'll never know if we keep your stuff or not
4) Just try and prove anything
5) You're a sucker if you believe we actually abide by some silly "privacy" policy
6) Hahahahaha...
7) ???
8) Profit!!

logs about deleting logs about...

[SuperBanana]

Ask is taking the most radical step by unveiling plans for a tool called AskEraser which, it claims, will let people tune whether data is gathered about them on a search-by-search basis."

AHA! But what happens to the logs from the AskEraser tool?

*runs for cover*

(Psst. Serious side note: with AT&T and others happily giving the NSA and others big fat listening tubes, who cares...about the end points? Besides, a 6 month retention policy gives Google plenty of time to do all sorts of analysis. They probably don't need *any* bits of your IP after a few days...)