Boing Boing: BoingBoing search privacy challenge: show us the data, MSN, Yahoo, AOL.

Monday, January 30, 2006

BoingBoing search privacy challenge: show us the data, MSN, Yahoo, AOL.

Regarding recent news that the Justice Department issued subpoenas for user search data to AOL, Google, MSN, and Yahoo -- and all but Google complied in one form or another -- EFF co-founder John Gilmore says:

If Yahoo, MSN, and AOL didn't reveal any personal info to DoJ, let's see them publicly post the results that they sent back to the DoJ.
They sent "a generic list of aggregate and anonymous search terms, and not results, from a roughly one day period" (AOL)? Let's see it. The public can decide whether there are privacy violations in there.
They sent "a random collection of page URLs that we had web-crawled"? Let's see them.
No need for barrels of ink to speculate with, let's just look at them. There can't be a problem with looking, if there's no personal privacy issues involved. There's no trade secrets here -- these are queries typed by end users, and web pages set up by end users. Right?

Here at Boing Boing, we can't write subpoenas -- but we would like to know.

So, America Online, Microsoft, and Yahoo: will you please release the data publicly -- or show us where it already exists online? This way, everyone who uses your services can take a look for themselves, and evaluate whether they believe the information shared was privacy-violating.

Thank you,
Cory, Xeni, Mark, and Pesco.

Previously: Keeping Google's records out of government hands.
Search and privacy: Danny Sullivan, Declan, GoogleAnon
Xeni on NPR: Bush Administration Seeks Search Records
AOL: We did not comply with all of the DOJ's search data request
DoJ search requests: Google said no; Yahoo, AOL, MSN yes.
DoJ demands user search records from Google

posted by Xeni Jardin at 09:08:10 AM permalink | Other blogs' comments

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Support Bloggers' Rights! HOWTO: Get a link posted to Boing Boing Boing Boing Mobile powered by Winksite Fark rules! This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution. Boing Boing is a trademark of Happy Mutants LLC in the United States [and other countries]. Stats (About our stats) defeat censorware Policies Our first five years' worth of posts in one file	Monday, January 30, 2006 BoingBoing search privacy challenge: show us the data, MSN, Yahoo, AOL. Regarding recent news that the Justice Department issued subpoenas for user search data to AOL, Google, MSN, and Yahoo -- and all but Google complied in one form or another -- EFF co-founder John Gilmore says: If Yahoo, MSN, and AOL didn't reveal any personal info to DoJ, let's see them publicly post the results that they sent back to the DoJ. They sent "a generic list of aggregate and anonymous search terms, and not results, from a roughly one day period" (AOL)? Let's see it. The public can decide whether there are privacy violations in there. They sent "a random collection of page URLs that we had web-crawled"? Let's see them. No need for barrels of ink to speculate with, let's just look at them. There can't be a problem with looking, if there's no personal privacy issues involved. There's no trade secrets here -- these are queries typed by end users, and web pages set up by end users. Right? Here at Boing Boing, we can't write subpoenas -- but we would like to know. So, America Online, Microsoft, and Yahoo: will you please release the data publicly -- or show us where it already exists online? This way, everyone who uses your services can take a look for themselves, and evaluate whether they believe the information shared was privacy-violating. Thank you, Cory, Xeni, Mark, and Pesco. Previously: Keeping Google's records out of government hands. Search and privacy: Danny Sullivan, Declan, GoogleAnon Xeni on NPR: Bush Administration Seeks Search Records AOL: We did not comply with all of the DOJ's search data request DoJ search requests: Google said no; Yahoo, AOL, MSN yes. DoJ demands user search records from Google posted by Xeni Jardin at 09:08:10 AM permalink \| Other blogs' comments Email this entry to: Your email address: Message (optional):	Boing Boing Sponsored by: Your Text Ad Here Get BB by email: