[LINK] Fwd: [ PRIVACY Forum ] Google reduces "Google Suggest" non-anonymized data retention to 24 hours or less

[Richard Chirgwin]

A different take on the Google anonymisation announcement:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13739_3-10038963-46.html

> Even though the 9-month-old search logs have been "anonymized", 
> because the cookie values remain, it is trivial to match the newer 
> search results to the older searches, and thus completely reverse the 
> anonymization process.
>
> The simple truth is that any IP anonymization technique, no matter how 
> strong or weak, is simply a waste of time, if cookie values are not 
> also anonymized.
>
> Unfortunately, Google is relying on the fact that the mainstream media 
> (I'm looking at you /New York Times/ and /Washington Post/) are 
> clueless on these issues, as well as seemingly most of the technology 
> press. Google's new anonymization policy is totally worthless, and the 
> company deserves to be called out for its deception.
>
RC

Roger Clarke wrote:
> [Getting closer still, if only in a small corner]
>
>   
>> To: privacy-list at vortex.com
>> Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:55:44 -0700
>> From: privacy at vortex.com
>>
>> Greetings.  A quick addendum to: "Google Halves Non-Anonymized Data
>> Retention Period" ( http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000424.html ) --
>> Google has also now just announced that the data retention period
>> for non-anonymized logged IP address data from use of Google Suggest
>> (which I discussed in relation to Google's Chrome Web browser a week
>> ago) will be reduced to less than 24 hours or so
>> ( http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/update-to-google-suggest.html ).
>>
>> Excellent.
>>
>> --Lauren--
>> Lauren Weinstein
>> lauren at vortex.com or lauren at pfir.org
>> Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
>> http://www.pfir.org/lauren
>> Co-Founder, PFIR
>>    - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
>> Co-Founder, NNSquad
>>    - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
>> Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
>> Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
>> Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
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