Google knows you.

July 2007 Entry 5

This last week has seen the internet search industry making major changes in the way user data (not just search data) is handled. Or claiming to, anyway. Excuse me if I'm skeptical. Google started it all with the insignificant change from keeping data on searchers (via cookie) forever to keeping it a mere 18 months. Sure, it looks good on the surface, but why does a search company need to know I searched for "natural balding cure" 18 months from now? Well, I didn't actually search for that, but what I search for isn't anybodies business but mine - and my wifes, if she cares to know. All of this information is supposedly anonymous, but the accidental release of about 20 million searches by AOL last year has taught us that, given enough search data (how many searches do you do in 18 months?) it is possible, maybe even trivial, to identify the searcher. Here are a couple of stories about that:

Hello Searcher 4417749

and

FAQ: AOL's Search Gaffe

And for more encouraging news:

Go Ask.com!!!


I may try refusing Google cookies, but I'll probably start using Ask.com. I'll always go with the company that gives me the most control over data about me...