You go Google!

<p>Congratulations <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google">Google </a>CEO Eric Schmidt and tech President, Sergy Brin for <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1523227">refusing to give in to Alberto Gonzalez' request for records of Internet searches conducted</a> through Google.  Unfortunately other search engines (Yahoo and MSN, for example) were not as concerned for our privacy. I have always liked that Google has a clear, publicly annunciated principle of business ethics, &quot;do no evil&quot;.  Which seems like nothing special on its surface, but Google lives up to this principle.  For example, they do not divulge private information to the Government, like what items we search for on the Internet.  Let's say you are doing a report on porn for a women's studies class. Would you want to show up on a list of potential sexual predators?  Should we have to worry about what each search might look like to someone unaware of our motivations?  How intellectually stifling!  Gee, the George W. Bush Administration and intellectual stifling, hmmmmm. </p><p>The reason given for the data request by Gonzalez is to show that Internet filters are not adequately protecting minors from porn sites.  At the same time Gonzalez claims that the data cannot be traced to individuals.  This makes no sense.  How can you use this data to show that minors are accessing porn, if specific individuals cannot be identified?  Makes me wonder what this data will really be used for!  Thanks Goolge!</p><p />

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