True to it’s company policy “do no harm” Google is resisting efforts by the US Department of Justice to force it to hand over data about what people are looking for online. The department wants the data to try to show in court it has the right approach in enforcing the 1998 Child Online Protection Act, which has been blocked by the Supreme Court because of legal challenges over how it is enforced. Google’s refusal to comply has prompted the deparment of Justice to ask a federal judge in the state of California for an order to hand over the records. Google’s lawyers will fight this order. Google has said that providing the information would make its users think it was willing to reveal personal information about them, “as well as giving competitors access to trade secrets”.
One of Google’s search rivals, Yahoo, said it had already complied with a similar government subpoena “on a limited basis and did not provide any personally identifiable information”. Microsoft said in a statement that it “works closely with law enforcement officials worldwide to assist them when requested .It is our policy to respond to legal requests in a very responsive and timely manner in full compliance with applicable law.”
No matter what you think about pornography and all that: it’s just one step away from Big Brother and there is no telling where this will end. Today it’s information about porn, tomorrow about your political ideas.
Let’s face it: there is a huge struggle going on for just one thing: control. Just like always…
Great blog you have here!!!
Nice work.
Cheers.
Just to set the record straight: the companies motto is not “Do no harm” it is “Don’t be evil”.
A quick search on Google revealed this so it should have been a mistake that I could have circumvented easily.