Public Policy Blog

Updates on technology policy issues

The European Commission's data protection findings

Monday, April 7, 2008
Share on Google+ Share on Twitter Share on Facebook
Google
Labels: Privacy , Public Policy Blog

12 comments :

  1. bearclawApril 7, 2008 at 10:19 PM

    As for saving our search data, how does it help by knowing who it came from? And I do think there should be more protections for your IP address, and i think that goes for whoever is using them, not just your ISP.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  2. CPCcurmudgeonApril 8, 2008 at 1:39 AM

    Unfortunately, it is necessary to save all of the search data for longer than the EC suggests. It is used to protect against all kinds of unwanted traffic, such as click fraud and index dictionary attacks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  3. treebowlApril 8, 2008 at 2:44 AM

    I know the data is useful to development, marketing and ad placement but why not just do what Ask.com has done and allow users to scrub their data? It would certainly address the EU concerns.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  4. -luzie-April 8, 2008 at 9:17 AM

    >>> Today, a Google search >>> is far more likely to >>> provide you with the >>> information you're
    >>> looking for than it
    >>> did a few years ago.

    please let the user decide if that's true or not, i as a user for myself don't see ANYthing alike, search results are as bad or even worse as they always were since altavista came into existence ...

    >>> As for saving our
    >>> search data, how
    >>> does it help by
    >>> knowing who it came
    >>> from

    bearclaw has made the point here, which directly leads me into believing that there's AGAIN something else lurking behind these allegations about "better user experience" or whatever you call it in different situations. my suspicion is: all you want is our data, as much as you can get, if possible ALL data and you're going to store it FOREVER the purpose of it being to just HAVE it in case there's any idea what to do with it later. i don't trust google. if there's anything i can do to help stop this juggernaut, i will.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  5. XApril 8, 2008 at 6:23 PM

    Personally I believe that the EU is looking for powder wherever there is money behind.
    On one hand , it is true that Google and other Institutions keep lots of our information, ranging from IP, habits, e-mails, medical records, etc etc., but it is also true that this info is necessary to accomplish the user’s goal of finding what they are looking for, as easy as it may be. Other objectives for having this info are possible, but we do not know specifically.

    The EU has successfully tried to collect Billons from big American Companies. I believe that most part of the times their enormous economic requests go far beyond the EU ‘s consumers. It is also true that similar request to European companies are not very much known. Without going far back in time, the EU paid to a person, for stolen information regarding people’s backing information. This attitude does not match their prayers.

    On the other hand, each of us is constantly skimmed on what we do and were we go. Using the cell phone allows companies to know where we are and whom we call. Each Credit Card transaction is the same. Each time we pass customs, we are requested to place a finger, take a pictures etc. etc. An these requirements not only involve the EU, but the US too.

    In short, what is the EU complaining, since every big institution y collecting our information !!!!!. and we the individuals can do anything in order to avoid it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  6. r32argentApril 9, 2008 at 12:25 PM

    I don't understand like how Google stores information that identifies the individual and network address. If location is crucuial for searches, why can't Google store information as "city, country" instead of by IP address? My suspicion is that Google's stance on this issue is mainly based on protecting its advertising revenue - advertising clicks. By knowing the IP address Google can identify exactly who's "clicking" and help protect against fraud.

    I think Google needs to only keep IP information on users who click, and not on peope who don't, like me :o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  7. CPCcurmudgeonApril 10, 2008 at 12:24 AM

    @r32argent,

    For G to store city and country info, they first have to get it, which is not so easily determinable. IP addresses, generally speaking, map to registry information. A bit more work can give the location of a datacenter where the IP address (or block) may be served. But it is much more difficult to determine the actual location of the computing device that actually viewed a page or clicked on a link. Furthermore, that information would be very difficult to reliably and trustworthily communicate to G. For more information, see this geolocation paper.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  8. JohannesApril 10, 2008 at 4:13 AM

    why doesn't the EU give users the opportunity to have their data used for a longer period if that improves the quality of their searches?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  9. JulienApril 10, 2008 at 5:25 AM

    We can contest the effectivity of the anonimization... Deleting the last numbers of the IP is not necessary sufficient when you still have 18 month of data including the full IP.

    Another point is interresting. You said that the data were needed to garantuee the security of your network. it is true, but in France for example, you can not merge the treatments concerning security and direct marketing. This are 2 different ojectives which need 2 different treatments.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  10. JulienApril 10, 2008 at 5:36 AM

    You wrote : "The Working Party's findings also stated that IP addresses should be treated as personal information, with the full weight of data protection laws"

    Whereas n° 26 of the directive 95/46/CE says : "to determine whether a person is identifiable, account should be taken of all the means likely reasonably to be used either by the controller or by any other person to identify the said person"

    The FAI for example is the "any other person to identify the said person".

    Wheras are not liable for the states. So, in France, the 26th whereas has been introduce and the IP is a personal data. In england, we just look after the means used by the controller and not a third person, IP is not a personal.

    This misunderstanding about the objet of law is not a good thing for google and for the clients.

    In a decision C-101/2001, 6 nov. 2003, Lindqvist, JOCE 10 janv. 2004 C 7/3 the court says a telephone number is a personal data.... Very near form an IP ^_^

    In the decision C275-06, 29 janv. 2008, Promusicae, JOCE 8 mars 2008, C 64/9 the court says the name and the IP are personal data... But the real question is for the IP alone, and on the court did not answer.

    If IP is finally qualify as a personal data, new specific regulations should be voted to reduce the heavy consequences of that interpretation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  11. JulienApril 10, 2008 at 5:43 AM

    Johannes wrote :"why doesn't the EU give users the opportunity to have their data used for a longer period if that improves the quality of their searches?"

    For example, in China the state use those data for politic repression. Google or the other internet giants can not refuse if the law of the country says they should transmit the data. In europe, a lot persons died during the 2nd WW because of the use of the personal data collected by ste states.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
  12. UnknownApril 23, 2008 at 3:36 PM

    It is nonsense when google states IP addresses of searches are to be stored in order to prevent click-fraud. Worst thing is that they labelled it fraud but it is not: If the google site involves people not being allowed to click on arbitrary links any number of times, it ought to say so that this is forbidden.
    google itself created the possibility to "misuse" its own advertisement system and then uses this to claim exemption from the law! Nobody granted google this right either, they just took it! It sounds to me like building a road which is connected to the public with no signs on it that one is not to travel on it.

    Of course, google is perfectly able to fix the problem, but at a cost, namely, to annoy users that they surrender their right to privacy any time they steer to the google site. It is this price that google doesn't want to incur...

    If you would ask me google has to abide by the privacy laws which existed in Europe long before it existed. If google wants to be exempt from the law, we need real reasons to do so. That's true for any company. It is time that google becomes a responsible company and comes to terms with the deficiencies of its own technology.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
      Reply
Add comment
Load more...

The comments on this blog belong only to the person who posted them. We do, however, reserve the right to remove off-topic or inappropriate comments.

  

Labels


  • Accessibility 5
  • Ad 2
  • Advertising 11
  • AdWords 2
  • Anti-defamation league 1
  • Book Search 16
  • Broadband 11
  • Business Issues 26
  • Buzz 1
  • buzzemail 1
  • Canada 1
  • Child Safety 18
  • Chrome 1
  • Cloud Computing 2
  • Competition 19
  • Congress 10
  • Constitute 1
  • copyright 7
  • Cuba 1
  • Cybersecurity 9
  • D.C. Talks 16
  • Digital Due Process 1
  • Digital Playbook 1
  • Economic Impact 5
  • Economy 13
  • ECPA 4
  • Elections 24
  • email 1
  • Energy Efficiency 29
  • Europe 2
  • FCC 7
  • fellowship 2
  • Fighting Human Trafficking 1
  • Free Expression 54
  • Geo 1
  • Gmail 1
  • GNI 2
  • Good to Know 5
  • Google Fellow 2
  • Google for Entrepreneurs 1
  • Google Ideas 2
  • Google Maps 1
  • Google Policy Fellowship 1
  • Google Tools 78
  • Government Transparency 33
  • Hate Speech 1
  • Health 5
  • How Google Fights Piracy 1
  • Human trafficking 1
  • Identity theft 1
  • Immigration 1
  • Intellectual Property 19
  • International 46
  • Journalists 1
  • Malware 1
  • Maps 1
  • National Consumer Protection Week 1
  • Net Neutrality 24
  • Patents 5
  • piracy. ad networks 2
  • Politicians at Google 11
  • Politics 23
  • Privacy 93
  • Public Policy 1
  • Public Policy Blog 806
  • Safe Browsing 3
  • scams 1
  • search 3
  • Security 17
  • Small Businesses 3
  • spectrum 4
  • State Issues 5
  • Surveillance 6
  • Technology for Good 1
  • Telecom 71
  • Trade 3
  • Transparency Report 4
  • White Spaces 23
  • WiFi Network 1
  • Workforce 5
  • Yahoo-Google Deal 5
  • YouTube 4
  • YouTube for Government 1


Archive


  •     2016
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr
    • Mar
  •     2015
    • Dec
    • Nov
    • Oct
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr
    • Mar
    • Feb
    • Jan
  •     2014
    • Dec
    • Nov
    • Oct
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr
    • Mar
    • Feb
    • Jan
  •     2013
    • Dec
    • Nov
    • Oct
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr
    • Mar
    • Feb
    • Jan
  •     2012
    • Dec
    • Nov
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr
    • Mar
    • Feb
    • Jan
  •     2011
    • Dec
    • Nov
    • Oct
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr
    • Mar
    • Feb
    • Jan
  •     2010
    • Dec
    • Nov
    • Oct
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr
    • Mar
    • Feb
    • Jan
  •     2009
    • Dec
    • Nov
    • Oct
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr
    • Mar
    • Feb
    • Jan
  •     2008
    • Dec
    • Nov
    • Oct
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr
    • Mar
    • Feb
    • Jan
  •     2007
    • Dec
    • Nov
    • Oct
    • Sep
    • Aug
    • Jul
    • Jun
    • May
    • Apr

Feed

Give us feedback in our Product Forums.

Company-wide

  • Official Google Blog
  • Europe Blog
  • Student Blog

Products

  • Android Blog
  • Chrome Blog
  • Lat Long Blog

Developers

  • Developers Blog
  • Ads Developer Blog
  • Android Developers Blog
  • Google
  • Privacy
  • Terms