Google to Anoymise User Search Data
March 15th, 2007 by pamela
Google have announced that they will anonymise personal data it gets from keyword searches, a move which privacy bodies are applauding following concerns regarding how collected data could be used to monitor users’ online habits.
Previously able to hold search information for an indefinite period, Google will now anonymise it after 18 to 24 months. This does not mean that the web is now anonymous however; governments and other authorities could still force Google to keep or hand over any data they see fit.
Google’s move is designed to improve services while giving users more transparency about Google’s data retention practices.
“We believe that privacy is one of the cornerstones of trust. We will be retroactively going back into our log database and anonymising all the information there.”
In common with European technology companies Google will hold on to data for 24 months, partly due to an EU directive which forces the retention of communication data for up to two years.
It is not yet clear if other search engines will follow Google’s lead.
