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There’s pr0n on the Internet?

January 22nd, 2006

Some people seem to think that Google is the Internet eqivalent of the antichrist. Now that perspective may even be shared by the US Department of Justice, as Google has vowed to "vigorously" fight a subpoena originally requiring a 2-month span’s worth of search inquiries and a listing of every website known to the search engine. Now, granted, Google does maintain a bit more information than other search engines, but it is good to see that they’re putting forth a vigorous fight to defend privacy, especially against as stupid a law as the Bush administration is trying to defend.

4 Comments »

  1. Cannonballer wrote,

    <tinfoil_hat>

    I’m blocking all cookies from Google and I’ve completely abandoned gmail.

    The reasoning is simple:

    1. They plan to keep all of that data (search history and email) no matter what. They’ve archived all your mail, even the stuff you’ve deleted.
    2. They’re a public company, so eventually the bean counters will rise up and the MBAs will take over. All it takes is a couple of bad quarters.
    3. Once they do, you can forget all about the "do no evil" stuff.
    4. I’m limiting the damage by bailing out now.

    It’s just a matter of time before Google are selling your mail and surfing habits to Russian spammers with organized crime connections. You heard it here first.

    </tinfoil_hat>

    Comment on January 23, 2006 @ 1:32 am

  2. Pramjockey wrote,

    Mmm.  Yeah, God knows that if the accountants take over their first impulse would be to share whatever information it’s claimed that Google is keeping.

    If you’ll come with us back to reality, you’ll see that the subpoena is about 2 things:  1)  What sites are currently available to be searched on Google.  2)  What searches were run in a particular period of time.  Neither of these indicate that Google is keeping worrisome information.

    Now take off the tin foil hat, relax, and worry more about the NSA and Pentagon spying on you than Google. 

    Comment on January 24, 2006 @ 2:51 pm

  3. ASquare wrote,

    I’m conflicted on this issue (like most issues).  Our tinfoil_hat-wearing friend has valid points; I agree with every one of ‘em and have, as a result, blocked Google.com cookies on my home machine.

    I respect that Google is telling the Feds to suck it.  All the other search engines rolled right over .  I still think that at the moment they "do no evil", but Cannonballer’s right about it only being a matter of a time.  No one resists the mighty dollar for long.

    You’d be best off to keep that kind of data for your own profit . 

    Comment on January 24, 2006 @ 4:04 pm

  4. Cannonballer wrote,

    I’m not worried about the spooks. It’s the Russian mafia. The day that googling my name returns more than high school sports results will be a sad day for me.

    As Les Claypool said: "Anonymity is a virtue in this day and age."

    Comment on January 24, 2006 @ 4:07 pm

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