Comments on: Verbatim: Search firms surveyed on privacy

CNET News.com asks AOL, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo what info they could provide in response to a court order. Read their responses.

[dingleberry420]

IP address

If they only saved the IP address for a short period for security/legal reasons, I would feel a lot better about this. As I'm sure everyone here knows, once someone has an IP address, a John/Jane Doe lawsuit can follow up to tie a name to that IP.

[markbowman]

Won't use Google ever again

Google is tracking search terms to IP addresses?

So I type "B*sh sucks" and now google keeps that on my permenant record? And of course ISPs keep permenant records on every IP address you have ever had. So Now all the government needs to do is put two and two together and its has its potential terrorist list ready to go. Knock..Knock.. who's there? With all that is hapening tell me I'm wrong and it can't/won't happen?

How about this then. Hyper-global-healthcare.com "somehow" gets ahold Google's records(they apparantly don't delete anything) and then they figure out who has been searching for information on "lung cancer" and "how to quit smoking". Guess who gets kicked off their insurance plan?

There is no legitimate reason for Google to keep a record of what IP address searched for what. From this day forward I'm done with them, giving up my gmail account, and going to forward this article to everyone I can think of.

[milette]

Actually, there's a lot more to it...

Your IP address is only a TINY part of the information Google (and everyone else) use to link your searches to you. Every browser presents a 'signature' the includes the IP Address, Browser Version, Operating System and Version plus a whole lot more. This, plus information your ISP has CAN link your searches to a specific computer. However, if you have Cookies enabled you make it even easier, because every request is linked to your unique identifier contained in the cookie. All anyone has to do is grab your cookie (which you present in clear, unencrypted form every time you visit Google or ANY of the Google sites -- and they can link everything to you. What's even worse though is when you REGISTER for ANY Google site -- then, you may provide everything from your real name to your credit card number. THEN, you're toast. OH YES, and don't forget about a little piece of spyware called the Google Toolbar -- if you use it in 'advanced' mode, not only are all the searches you conduct through Google tracked, but also any searches you conduct through the toolbar -- but what's even worse is that this little bit parasite reports EVERY URL YOU BROWSE back to Google -- for ANY site you browse. Link that, with your cookie, with your registered Gmail or other Google account, and you have the PERFECT piece of spyware kit. Actually, if you read between the lines in their assorted 'privacy policies' -- you'll see that they can use ANY data you volunteer them for any purpose they want and for as long as they want -- including reporting it to the US Government in the event you are ever accused of ANYTHING. Welcome to Orwell's nightmare...