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Google refuses to hand over user data
Rights groups in the US are already on alert after revelations that the White House authorised phone tapping without court orders. "This is exactly the kind of thing we have been worrying about with search engines for some time," Pam Dixon of the World Privacy Forum told the Associated Press. "Google should be commended for fighting this."
User Comments: 33
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GO GOOGLE! Thats our private info, no one but us need to know what we are looking for. Thank you
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Yeah, I'm all for Google not handing over the U.S. anything. May be it's for the better, may be not. The government should really stay out of this, and just let people be. It's like they want to know everything they can about you, it's getting really stupid. Take phone tapping for instance, I mean, I know they want this place to be safe, but I really think they are taking it to the extremes. What users look at online is their privacy and business, not the government's. Just my opinion though.
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While its great google has said no...msn and yahoo have already turned over their lists.[Edited by atk spade on 2006-01-22 10:17:55]
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[b]Originally posted by Eleventeen:[/b][quote]Yeah, I'm all for Google not handing over the U.S. anything. May be it's for the better, may be not. The government should really stay out of this, and just let people be. It's like they want to know everything they can about you, it's getting really stupid. Take phone tapping for instance, I mean, I know they want this place to be safe, but I really think they are taking it to the extremes. What users look at online is their privacy and business, not the government's. Just my opinion though.[/quote]it really is just about government wanting to know about everything, it's the way to go if you want to have control in the world! And I home that google successed in this one!
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A good way to save face with the people who criticized them about keeping deleted Gmail data.Honestly, I don't think it makes a difference. The government will just shut them down or something.
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You know, the US government is going against everything we stand for, and what has made our country the best in World History. Our founding fathers based everything they had around freedom, and the ability to be free to do what you want to do. As more and more laws are being created, that goes against this, it is changing our country into a communist monster, but doing it under the table so to speak. The Bush Administration is changing our history, and you know what, I'm completely discusted, and angry with it. They changed history, when they changed the votes, making Bush win. Never before in US history has this happened. Technically, Al Gore should be our president, and I wish he was, because these things would not be taking place. I believe the US is going to become similar to the communist countries of Russia and China, in that the government controls just about everything its citizens do. The Bush Administration goes around talking about democracy, and yet, they are making communist decisions everyday.
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This is a very bold and courageous move.
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Google is taking on the US government. Man, Google really has some guts. I am not sure if google can maintain it's position with the US governemnt, but it's nice to see the audacity of such company to protect user's data.
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Thank you Google. I'm really suprised that Google has the guts to take a stand like that. Google VS. Microsoft, not its Google VS. US Government, thats going to be tough.@fury. Google will never be shut down. They have guts, and that is good. I would really love to see Google actually win against the US Government, I think that have a good chance. ---Slowly they are taking over the Internet. I mean if they don't take demands from the US Government, then they don't take demands from anyone. They are quite courageous.
GO GOOGLE! -
This can be looked upon in one of 2 ways. It is either very smart of them, or very stupid. Let's hope it is not the latter.
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Excellent! It's too bad the courts are gonna be stacked with neo-cons for the next 30 years or so. This may outrage the computing community, but the everyday joe might not even understand this. Hopefully it will be used against the extention of the unpatriotic Patriot Act. Oh well at least history won't blame me. My vote didn't count. Remember....just say no in NovemberBumper sticker seen on car "If you can read this, you're not the President"
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Yeah for google! THe goverment is becoming more of police state invading our personal lifes everywhere. Hiding behind things like its for the fight against child porn or terrorism. Its nice to stand up to the goverment asking them to be more specific in thier hunt.
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In the end Google will lose the battle..that's will most certainly be the harsh reality.Is your firewall spying on you? [url]http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=29157[/url]
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Good for Google on making a stand. It will most definitly be a nasty court experience. The question there in lies, which side do you think should win? Google si trying to protect people's privacy, while the US wants to protect little horny boys from seeing boobies. This is a tough call.
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So tired of our privacy being invaded...
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First of all, the public can’t possibly know the true intentions of Google’s refusal to hand over search data. Personally, I think it’s a smart move on their part, because it helps Google’s image, making them even more popular with those concerned about online privacy. The press they are receiving from this refusal translates into more page hits and searches, and also more earnings through Google AdWords. I’ve read through some of “The Google Story” by David A. Vise, and according to the book, Google’s computer network is far larger than the US government’s. Google owns the largest computer network in the world, and they are a force to be reckoned with. If the US government did succeed in shutting down the world’s #1 search engine, there would be a severe backlash. Inevitably, Google would be reborn, but I personally doubt that it will fall to begin with.
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Google is certainly gutsy and should be applauded for this. Why does the governments really want these records? I suspect more sinister reasons.
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Awesome! It's about time some big company sticks it to the man. :P
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Some humour about a serious matter:[url]http://www.cagle.com/working/060120/englehart.gi
[/url][url]http://www.cagle.com/working/060120/horsey.gif[
url][url]http://www.cagle.com/working/060120/walthandelsma
.gif[/url][url]http://www.cagle.com/working/060120/stahler
gif[/url] -
Way to go Google, fight the power. The U.S. government has no right to take that data and Google has the right to keep whatever it wants. Again keep on fighting.
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It could be the case that the US government is trying to get Google's secrets of their search engine to set up their own search engine like the French & German's have done recently. Google's search engine and the webpages it shows upon a request is like asking Coke for their secret ingredients that has made them so successful. It's a good job Google has a good team of lawyers with plenty of money to fight them in court. And how on earth are they going to make any sense of the billions of search queries that are made every day around the world? This only points to the US government wanting to sensor the internet, but if they did, is it enforceable outside the US?
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[b]Originally posted by PUTALE:[/b][quote]Google is taking on the US government. Man, Google really has some guts. I am not sure if google can maintain it's position with the US governemnt, but it's nice to see the audacity of such company to protect user's data.[/quote]Google has enough money and financial infrastructure to back up anything it does. Google will have a room full of lawyers to fight the U.S. government, so I'm not worried about that. But events like this selddom result in a completely one-sided situation. It is probable that Google and the U.S. government will compromise, which while a backlash will occur, it would not be on a full scale-war if Google cooperates 100%.It seems unreasonable for the Bush Administration to invade people's online privacy rights. This battle helps Google's image, sure, but it is much more than that. It is saddening to see how readily available Microsoft, Yahoo, and to some extent, AOL, gave in to the demands of the government.According to the article, the Department of Justice want these data to "simulate how people use the Internet," and in part it is used to protect children from online pornography. This is just like any day in a court: You don't breach a person's basic rights to see what possible dangers/secrets that person may possess. The U.S. government is standing on shaky grounds, it is no wonder the public is outraged.
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Google will eventuall fold, they have to. But it is good that they didn't just tuck their tail and hand out the data on a whim. Make the Government go through proper legal procedure. That's the way.Although it begs the question, why does Google KEEP such records? I mean, people search a gazillion billion times a day, don't tell me Google records all these searches and where they are coming from?How can the Government "protect" anything if they don't know exactly where these "bad" searches originate? Does google have a massive database of every IP address and what searches come from it? Kinda scary actually, even more so then the government WANTING this data. Some day you search for, like, a gun that passes through airport security, for a research paper or something, and next thing you know you got black suits banging your door down.Perhaps Google aught to just delete the data? Would that be wrong? If it was a mandate to STORE the data, why would they then refuse to give it up? So just delete it then. As if Google needs it for anything.The whole thing is fraught with questions.
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@vigilante. Google keeps records so they know what people want. Then they can advertise to make money. Think about how gmail runs...
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I must say, that some of you should read up a little, heh not to offend. i agree that that the government def does not havethe ability to fix everything, and many times when it tries, they just mess things up, so it probably good that google refused them. And i lad for it. But rember, our country was built on more than just freedom, because our view of what "freedom" is has changed. Not that the goverment is doing such a great job at fixing anything, but i think bush is trying, and the media is just not thinking, they just have their own personally agenda. But nyway, yeah go Google, good that they are, in a way....defending our privacy. But rem, that freedom is not the right to do whatever you want, or whatever you feel is right, it is much much more than that, and if our country does not come to realize that soon, privacy is not going to matter much....wow i kind of blabbed on allittle bit.Oh,BTw just found this...check it out! ouch, i'm sorry google...[url]http://news.com.com/2061-10812_3-6029411.html?
art=rss&tag=6029411&subj=news[/url][Edited by nathanskywalker on 2006-01-22 23:44:38][quote]"Young people are experiencing broken lives after being exposed to adult images and behaviors on the Internet," Samad said. "I'm disappointed Google did not want to exercise its good corporate branding to secure the protection of youth. I think (complying with the subpoena) would substantiate the basis of COPA if they get a free exchange of information on youthful use of the Internet."[/quote]And i totaly agree with that statment, but again, is that really the governments buisness? and where does there authority stop?[Edited by nathanskywalker on 2006-01-22 23:47:50]
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