Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Google Urged To Let Personal Data Fade Away

Posted by timothy on from the dust-in-the-wind dept.

jee4all writes with this excerpt from E-week: "Researchers say personal information should 'degrade' — becoming less specific over time — to protect users' privacy. Rather than amassing personal data and holding on to it as long as legally possible, companies such as Google should allow the data to degrade over time, according to researchers. In an interview with the BBC this week, Dutch researcher Harold van Heerde discussed his work on the idea of allowing data to becomes less specific over time. Letting the specifics gradually disappear could protect consumer privacy while also meeting the needs of service providers, he said."

4 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. It would certainly help with search results. by earls · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Then I'd stop finding two and three year old solutions to new problems in new versions of software. Yeah, you can "filter" Google search results by date, but filter features are mediocre at best... And I'm unaware of a way to make them persistent. The majority of my Google search now-a-days end up as "searchterm" and then twenty "-negativekeywords" following it.

  2. Instead, we can grow up by Improv · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We'll learn to deal with the fact that people mature over time and the things they do when very young might not represent them when they're older. This lengthening of memories should let us mature a bit rather than try to hide in the bush.

    --
    For every problem, there is at least one solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
  3. Sorta Like This? by The+Wild+Norseman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dutch researcher Harold van Heerde discussed his work on the idea of allowing data to becomes less specific over time. Letting the specifics gradually disappear could protect consumer privacy while also meeting the needs of service providers

    Sorta like me, for example?

    The Wild Norseman -->

    A Norseman -->

    Some Guy -->

    A Person, Place or Thing -->

    A Nobody -->

    Anonymous Coward

    --
    "A government is a body of people usually -- notably -- ungoverned." -Shepherd Book
  4. Re:In related news by TheRaven64 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wildly off topic here, but if you want something entertaining, throw an entire slice of bread (or, better, pitta bread) to the ducks. One of them will grab it whole and then swim away as fast as it can from the others. As it does, the bread will drag in the water and bits will drop off. Most of the bread goes to the ducks following it. It's entertaining to watch, and is probably a metaphor for the music industry or something.

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News