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E.U. Regulator Says IP Addresses Are Personal Data

Posted by samzenpus on from the do-not-share dept.

NewsCloud writes "Germany's data-protection commissioner, Peter Scharr told a European Parliament hearing on online data protection that when someone is identified by an IP, or Internet protocol, address, 'then it has to be regarded as personal data.' Scharr acknowledged that IP addresses for a computer may not always be personal or linked to an individual. If the E.U. rules that IP addresses are personal, then it could regulate the way search engines record this data. According to the article, Google does an incomplete job of anonymizing this data while Microsoft does not record IP addresses for anonymous search."

9 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. He's totally right by smittyoneeach · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now bow to your Redmond overlord, miscreants!

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
    1. Re:He's totally right by unlametheweak · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't believe everything you read. The Onion has about as much credibility with me as Fox News.

    2. Re:He's totally right by packeteer · · Score: 4, Funny

      Lies! Not only is fox fair and balanced but the Onion is "America's finest news source."

      --
      unzip; strip; touch; finger; mount; fsck; more; yes; unmount; sleep
  2. Re:Citation needed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    No problem

  3. Re:Begs the question... by lexarius · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, that's my computer's IP address, so it's obviously mine, and I'll have to ask you to stop waving it around like that.

  4. Re:Citation needed by Kamokazi · · Score: 2, Funny

    With a statement like that I really doubt you'd even believe it coming from your own mother holding a document signed by Bill Gates and notorized by a Supreme Court judge. Because, you know, Microsoft doing something better than Google completely contradicts the Slashdot Theory of Logic.

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  5. Re:Just Addresses by QuantumG · · Score: 4, Funny

    nobody can NOT store your personal data without warning you Well shit, I better warn you right now that I'm not storing your personal data.. that goes for everyone else reading this: I AM NOT STORING YOUR PERSONAL DATA!

    Whew, lucky I got that out of the way.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
  6. Re:Is a license plate personal data? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    No, that's only if you want Sudafed.

    You buy Sudafed? You must be a drug dealer, as there can be no other rational explanation except to presume you are.
  7. Yahoo Germany Helpdesk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Helpdesk: "Hello, this is the Yahoo Germany Helpdesk"
    Caller: "Yes, I want you to delete all your records with my IP address in it..."
    Helpdesk: "OK"
    Caller: "and I want you to tell me who gave you my IP address."
    Helpdesk: "Umm, well your computer will have sent us your IP address when you connected to the website"
    Caller: "Oh, I don't think so, I have a very good firewall."

    Helpdesk: "Hello, this the German National Bank Helpdesk"
    Caller: "Yes, I want you to delete all your records with my IP address in it..."
    Helpdesk: "Sure, and what is that IP address?"
    Caller: "10.0.0.10"

    Helpdesk: "Hello this is Ebay Germany, how can I help you."
    Caller: "Could you please delete all records relating to my IP address."
    Helpdesk: "Sure, do you know what the number is?"
    Caller: "Didn't you make a note when you recorded it!"