Google to ‘anonymize’ user IPs after 9 months after EU Pressure

[Miss Banana]

after continued pressure from EU regulators, Google has once again revised its data retention policies, saying it will "anonymize" user IP addresses after 9 months.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/09/google_nine_months_data_anonymization/

Even though I still don't really get what all the google privacy hysteria is about, it's at least good that google is slowly moving towards a more privacy-friendly approach.

[zanzabar]

they still track your mac address to make a unique ID so i dont see why not holding IP addresses is an accomplishment

[Shintai]

Just 9 months...thats 9 too long...

[Helmore]

It's still shorter than any of the other major search engines as far as I know. BTW, isn't this news about 2 weeks old? Could be my bad memory though....

[rge]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/09/google_nine_months_data_anonymization/

Even though I still don't really get what all the google privacy hysteria is about, it's at least good that google is slowly moving towards a more privacy-friendly approach.

I dont understand all the privacy hysteria either. In fact, I think the phone companies should start recording parts of phone conversations in addition to storing the numbers. If you are not doing anything illegal, why should you care? That way if someone ever got into a civil/legal matter we could mull through not only the phone calls they made, but hear what they said. And what is wrong with the government recording some of what you say... they could also protect your privacy in the same manner as google ...quote from the link you provided:

"According to Wong, Google has yet to decide how it will "anonymize" the logs. In announcing its 18 (to 24) month retention policy last year, the company stopped short of saying it would remove IP addresses entirely. Anonymization meant "changing some of the bits" in a stored IP address, making "it less likely that the IP address can be associated with a specific computer or user." Google's latest privacy blog post indicates the company may not even go this far. "We haven't sorted out all of the implementation details [for the 9 month plan], and we may not be able to use precisely the same methods for anonymizing as we do after 18 months, but we are committed to making it work."

[clonez]

because privacy is guaranteed in most countries by constitution
and thats nothing you should change (and they usually cant be changed, its THE main pillar of democracy)

btw, why record millions of calls, which no one can sort through?

and, "no aim sanctifies the tool" (its a crappy translation, ok :D, but i guess you get the gist)

[NotFred]

If you are not doing anything illegal, why should you care?

Do you have curtains in your house?

[rge]

Do you have curtains in your house?

No, how could my neighbors report any suspicous activity if I did. I think they should be illegal. Everyone, instead should install cameras, to be linked to the feds...first step to ridding all crime.

(btw...turn your sarcasm meter up just a tad)

[TheKarmakazi]

rge: classic stuff man u had me :rofl:

[tommyshango]

I just saw an interesting movie called The Listening. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427461/

I would be scared... very scared. I had no idea. I had heard rumors about them recording calls this pretty much sums up all your fears.

[Katanai]

I just saw an interesting movie called The Listening. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427461/

I would be scared... very scared. I had no idea. I had heard rumors about them recording calls this pretty much sums up all your fears.

:rofl:
This comment makes me wonder: what exactly do you talk on your phone? If it's anything illegal you shouldn't do it anyway as it's already really easy for someone to listen. I usually go out of the house and away from phones in general if I wanna talk about something that could get me in trouble...

[NotFred]

(btw...turn your sarcasm meter up just a tad)

Oh... right...

I think I'll go and hide

[Bobsama]

My belief is government should really have a hands-off policy with privacy. If there's a reason to suspect someone, you need to get a search permit. That's it--maybe we'll take some more flak, but the USA was built on liberty. Men and women died for that liberty. And anyone whom enjoys that liberty should be thankful to a soldier for protecting their liberty in the past, the present, and the future. If you outrule liberty, the purpose of the USA as a democratic republic is null and void.

[zanzabar]

It's still shorter than any of the other major search engines as far as I know. BTW, isn't this news about 2 weeks old? Could be my bad memory though....

yahoo and msn both delete user information affter 7 days and only keep total hits, but MSN tracks sub domains and linking while yahoo only gets links through their original redirect so im not usre what ur getting at

My belief is government should really have a hands-off policy with privacy. If there's a reason to suspect someone, you need to get a search permit. That's it--maybe we'll take some more flak, but the USA was built on liberty. Men and women died for that liberty. And anyone whom enjoys that liberty should be thankful to a soldier for protecting their liberty in the past, the present, and the future. If you outrule liberty, the purpose of the USA as a democratic republic is null and void.

the governmest should be hands off about privacy, but they also need to enforce the rules on what amounts to "stalking and blackmail" and stop making grandfather clauses to make google happy. I.E. in CA its illeagle for any1 to track user browsing history and store any personal information or a unique ID with it for more than 7 days, but google fought tooth and nail and spent over $500M in lobbying to get an exception for already established search companies.


and how would u not be paranoid if u read the EUL and then take that amount of tracking and googles 2 best customers for information are experian (the credit agency) and government contracted security organizations i cant see how u would use it, even if u dont have anything to hide a public record of all searches at your IP will get strange things on there and make u look like a deviant or terrorist

[ahmad]

Umm thats going to do much:

User_Table before anon

ID ------- UID - IP ------------- Search History - Date
2141242 - 454 - 122.122.122.42 - "how to overclock your gf's vibrator" - 09/08/2007
2145243 - 454 - 122.122.122.42 - "hospitals in las vagas" - 09/08/2008

User_Table after anon

ID ------- UID - IP ------------- Search History - Date
2141242 - 454 - *.*.*.******* - "how to overclock your gf's vibrator" - 09/08/2007
2145243 - 454 - 122.122.122.42 - "hospitals in las vagas" - 09/08/2008

Lots of good this is going to do if your IP doesn't change...

[billdavis]

No, how could my neighbors report any suspicous activity if I did. I think they should be illegal. Everyone, instead should install cameras, to be linked to the feds...first step to ridding all crime.

(btw...turn your sarcasm meter up just a tad)

ehh then my wife cant walk around the house naked :down:

[Kingcarcas]

No, how could my neighbors report any suspicous activity if I did. I think they should be illegal. Everyone, instead should install cameras, to be linked to the feds...first step to ridding all crime.

(btw...turn your sarcasm meter up just a tad)
Lets get outta here guys! Gestapo is coming down the street..........
ehh then my wife cant walk around the house naked :down:
Damn right, and it would be a damn shame to ruin my evenings like that. :ROTF:

[billdavis]

No, how could my neighbors report any suspicous activity if I did. I think they should be illegal. Everyone, instead should install cameras, to be linked to the feds...first step to ridding all crime.

(btw...turn your sarcasm meter up just a tad)

that is the standard "it is somone elses responsibilty" crap every one trys to pull

end all be all it is %90 the parents fault that crime continues because :banana::banana::banana::banana:ty people make :banana::banana::banana::banana:ty kids