Baby Steps Forward For Google?

Posted by philo on Mar 15, 2007 in Economic | 0 comments

Google is making a small step towards protecting user privacy by anonymizing search records after eighteen to twenty-four months. Previously Google kept all user search records – which include information about the unique IP address, location, browser used, and search terms – indefinitely. The decision was made primarily in connection to requirements from governments in Europe and North America to keep records for a specific amount of time.

The BBC article did not say how this changes will impact Google.cn, the search engine Google custom built for the Chinese government to censor search results according to their specifications. A Google spokesman was quoted as saying, “Unless we’re legally required to retain log data for longer, we will anonymise our server logs after a limited period of time.” That makes me think that Google will continue to act in accordance with the Chinese government’s wishes for their platform.

Google should do the right thing and make clear that their decision to anonymize search records applies to users inside China and Tibet. Moreover, Google should anonymize search date inside Tibet and China within a matter of days or weeks, not months and years. China’s track record of using internet records to jail dissidents is reason enough to protect Google’s users quickly and not give the Chinese government another tool to stifle dissent.

Technorati Tags: Google, Google.cn