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The Right Coast
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The problem with Google Tom Smith

By Thomas A. Smith

Here are the specific privacy beefs that Privacy International has with Google:

In summary, Google’s specific privacy failures include, but are by no means limited to:

  • Google account holders that regularly use even a few of Google’sservices must accept that the company retains a large quantity ofinformation about that user, often for an unstated or indefinite lengthof time, without clear limitation on subsequent use or disclosure, andwithout an opportunity to delete or withdraw personal data even if theuser wishes to terminate the service.
  • Google maintains records of all search strings and theassociated IP-addresses and time stamps for at least 18 to 24 monthsand does not provide users with an expungement option. While it is truethat many US based companies have not yet established a time frame forretention, there is a prevailing view amongst privacy experts that 18to 24 months is unacceptable, and possibly unlawful in many parts ofthe world.
  • Google has access to additional personal information,including hobbies, employment, address, and phone number, containedwithin user profiles in Orkut. Google often maintains these recordseven after a user has deleted his profile or removed information fromOrkut.
  • Google collects all search results entered through GoogleToolbar and identifies all Google Toolbar users with a unique cookiethat allows Google to track the user’s web movement.17 Google does notindicate how long the information collected through Google Toolbar isretained, nor does it offer users a data expungement option inconnection with the service.
  • Google fails to follow generally accepted privacy practicessuch as the OECD Privacy Guidelines and elements of EU data protectionlaw. As detailed in the EPIC complaint, Google also fails to adoptedadditional privacy provisions with respect to specific Google services.
  • Google logs search queries in a manner that makes thempersonally identifiable but fails to provide users with the ability toedit or otherwise expunge records of their previous searches.
  • Google fails to give users access to log informationgenerated through their interaction with Google Maps, Google Video,Google Talk, Google Reader, Blogger and other services.

(Hat tip Instapundit.)

Of the above, what bothers me most is their keeping search history.  Probably if you’re searching for anything you shouldn’t be you should use Proxify or something similar to interact with the search engine.  I’m also addicted to Gmail, which is a really useful engine.  Heaven knows how long they keep that stuff, and whether deleted email is recoverable or discoverable.  I have a friend who is a frequent expert witness who uses AOL for email just because they expunge everything in email every 60 days in a manner that is for practical purposes unrecoverable.