Microsoft To Delete Bing IP Data After 6 Months

adeelarshad82 writes "Bowing to pressure from the EU, Microsoft said it would discard all data collected via its Bing search engine after six months. (Microsoft's announcement contains a timeline for what data gets anonymized or deleted when.) Until now, the software giant has retained the data for 18 months. Over the past two years, however, Internet companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google have made efforts to reduce the amount of time that information is stored. Microsoft's policies will remain the same, but now, the company will delete the IP address and other info after six months. Back in December 2008, Microsoft said it would reduce its retention time to six months, but only if its rivals followed suit. At the time, Yahoo anonymized its data after 13 months, and Google did the same after 9 months. A week later, Yahoo cut that time down to three months, but Google said its decisions are not conditioned on what competitors do."

Comments

Privacy

[sopssa]

After Google's CEO's comments about privacy is only wanted by wrongdoers and their massive influence all over the internet, mobile phones and soon desktop I'm starting to think Bing might be better. Like the summary states, Google says its decisions "aren't conditioned on what competitors do" and they want to do what they want. Seems like they got huge and got piss in their head.

When credit is due, I have to give it. Bing is done correctly, and Google seems like the falling star it once was. We want privacy - give it to us.

Re:Privacy

[mapkinase]

Google is increasingly scaring me. Eric Schmidt is the CEO of New America Foundation - a political think tank. Google's active involvement into politics reminds me of Khodorkovsky - Russian nouveau riche with greasily trail and political aspirations cut short by more ruthless political opponent.

It is unclear now what does Google have in mind, but it will have bad outcome either for us or for them.

Re:Privacy

[Nadaka]

Shortly thereafter it was demonstrated that right-doers could use some privacy as well.

Re:Privacy

[Enderandrew]

Microsoft handed over search data without being forced to do so.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177102061

Google was the only major search engine to fight to protect your privacy.

Google also fought court orders in Brazil to protect privacy for their Orkut users.

I can understand the logic of a statement that only criminals have something to hide, but in practice, Google has done more to protect your privacy than Microsoft. That is just comparing them as search companies. I won't even get into Windows and Microsoft products "phoning home" without telling you, and the latest rumors that Microsoft included a backdoor in Windows 7 for the NSA.

Re:Privacy

[sopssa]

Even if they are not, it's a good thing. Actually the first thing I think EU has done correctly since my country joined it in early 2000. You also have to remember that Google also does business in EU area, but all of the data is stored in their US datacenters (which is quite gray area in EU law, but they are headquarted on Ireland for tax purposes so it maybe different law).

What I mostly care about is that my data is not stored in countries overseas to me (those in US can compare this to storing your data in China or other country in Asia, it's quite relevant) and that whatever data they save is deleted quite soon. EU countries are actually really strict about this. I hated when my workplace assigned me to make sure we complied to all the privacy terms and hand specific terms visible to users on what we save and for how long, but now that I think of it, it is really for peoples benefit.