Google defies US over search data.

[Tomez]

The internet search engine Google is resisting efforts by the US Department of Justice to force it to hand over data about what people are looking for.

Google was asked for information on the types of query submitted over a week, and the websites included in its index.

The department wants the data to try to show in court it has the right approach in enforcing an online pornography law.

It says the order will not violate personal privacy, but Google says it is too broad and threatens trade secrets.

Privacy groups say any sample could reveal the identities of Google users indirectly. And they say the demand is a worrying precedent, because the government also wants to make more use of internet data for fighting crime and terrorism.

However, the Department of Justice has said that several of Google's main competitors have already complied.

Act blocked

The department first issued a request for the data last August.

It wants:

* A list of terms entered into the search engine during an unspecified single week, potentially tens of millions of queries

* A million randomly selected web addresses from various Google databases.

The US government is seeking to defend the 1998 Child Online Protection Act, which has been blocked by the Supreme Court because of legal challenges over how it is enforced.

Google's refusal to comply prompted US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to ask a federal judge in the state of California on Wednesday for an order to hand over the records.

But Google's lawyers said it would fight the order.

"Google is not a party to this lawsuit and their demand for information overreaches," associate general counsel Nicole Wong said in a written statement.

"We had lengthy discussions with them to try to resolve this, but were not able to, and we intend to resist their motion vigorously."

Google has also said that providing the data would make its users think it was willing to reveal personal information about them, as well as giving competitors access to trade secrets.

One of its search rivals, Yahoo, said it had already complied with a similar government subpoena "on a limited basis and did not provide any personally identifiable information".

And Microsoft said in a statement that it "works closely with law enforcement officials worldwide to assist them when requested".

"It is our policy to respond to legal requests in a very responsive and timely manner in full compliance with applicable law," it said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4630694.stm

[Vargas]

Google said no, but Yahoo, AOL, MSN yes.

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/19/_doj_...h_requests.html

[Samurai]

I can understand both sides of the arguement.

Should be interesting how this turns out.

[Nemesis]

I can understand both sides of the arguement.

Should be interesting how this turns out.

I can also see both sides of the argument, but at the same time I dont want people to see what I have been searching on google or any other search engine. Not that its anything bad, I just dont want to be watched by the american government.

that is basically what they are trying to accomplish.

[Guest Jdawg]

I fully agree. I dont have much to hide, But its kinda like having a camera on you at work all day.

Not something anybody wants

[erRor67]

So the government is trying to combat child pornography (which they should) but I dont see why they need google's history search terms.. Certainly they want to stop people from hosting child pron rather than stop people from searching for it right? I would think the governemnt use google to search for child porn and then shut down those sites (US based ones). Also, if google hands over the search history, would it be everyone including outside the US or only US based history? Cause the US government cant do shit outside the US.

[myidisbb]

its suppose to be for a study for a law that was declared illegal. also they would hand over the information to forgein governments. there is an agreement somewhere for that.

this all goes back to where you have to have a credit card age id check for everywhere you go. it was declared illegal in the usa under varies laws. cda, cda2, parts of the other crap ones pass during clintonism. some of you might remember the internet was free at just about every site. no credit age scam crap. playboy.com was free. adult sites all changed after cda and didnt stop after it was declared illegal. and that when there was money in adult crap and kiddy porn crap. you can thank clintonism for that.

the usa government doesnt give a damn about the children. if they did they would post and show their faces on everyone of the kiddy porn crap. thats the only way to find the victims and stop it. but then they would be out of a job. you are not allowed to solve problems. democrat (dnc) party 101.

if the usa or any government whats to know about the search finds they need to go look up the sites themselves.