Bush vs. Google

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Is there a thread on this yet?

Google, U.S. Clash Over Online Searches

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
The Associated Press
Thursday, January 19, 2006; 6:20 PM

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google Inc. is rebuffing the Bush administration's demand for a peek at what millions of people have been looking up on the Internet's leading search engine _ a request that underscores the potential for online databases to become tools of the government.

Mountain View-based Google has refused to comply with a White House subpoena first issued last summer, prompting U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales this week to ask a federal judge in San Jose for an order to force a handover of the requested records.

The government wants a list all requests entered into Google's search engine during an unspecified single week _ a breakdown that could conceivably span tens of millions of queries. In addition, it seeks 1 million randomly selected Web addresses from various Google databases.

In court papers that the San Jose Mercury News reported on after seeing them Wednesday, the Bush administration depicts the information as vital in its effort to restore online child protection laws that have been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

est of the article here, but requires registration.

My initial thought is that the Bushies don't want the data, they just want to create a chilling effect by asking for it. Still,

[Thorn]

No they just want to see what porn people are looking through so they can give the data to churches to go bother people about..... oh and they are building a gay database this will help with for their final solution for gay people..... "Seig Heil, death to the f@g(s) and libs"... will be their battle march......

[Seeker]

Do they even keep such data after a day or so? Google should not keep such records beyond the most general.

Do we really need to know how many perverted teens are looking up

"Gay+Furries+ISCP+STEFU+Nipple-Clamps"

[Lorizael]

I think that might be going a little too far, EvC.

But the government does not need this information. I'm glad Google isn't giving it to them. Because I wouldn't want to have to stop using Google.

[Dinner]

Bush has already proved he can't be trusted with data and will spy on people without warrents if given a chance. That is absolutely criminal and the admin's weak justifications for breaking the law haven't passed the laugh test so they shouldn't be allowed to bully their way into getting still more data.

[Sandman]

There'll be a flap about this, and then it'll go away. Unfortunately.

[mrmitchell]

as important question

Why does Google even KEEP this information after a week or so

[Dinner]

Maybe they use it to check the quality and consistancy of their search engine?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Seeker
Do they even keep such data after a day or so? Google should not keep such records beyond the most general.

Do we really need to know how many perverted teens are looking up

"Gay+Furries+ISCP+STEFU+Nipple-Clamps"

I'd imagine they do, they publish yearly statistics on search trends and most searched for keywords.

[Asher]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
as important question

Why does Google even KEEP this information after a week or so

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_mining

[Seeker]

I hope that I've caused appropriate amounts of suffering due to the mental image that Google search calls up...

[VetLegion]

Why did you put a minus before "clamps"?

Pervert

[Lorizael]

Who doesn't use clamps?

[snoopy369]

This needs to stop. Someone important needs to remind Bush et al why we call ourselves a "free country" ... otherwise the terrorists/perverts/etc win

[Imran Siddiqui]

Google .

I'm glad they are sticking up for privacy.