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Feds Seek Google Records in Porn Probe
AP Via Yahoo ^ | 2006-01-19

Posted on 01/19/2006 10:36:33 AM PST by flashbunny

The Bush administration, seeking to revive an online pornography law struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, has subpoenaed Google Inc. for details on what its users have been looking for through its popular search engine.

Google has refused to comply with the subpoena, issued last year, for a broad range of material from its databases, including a request for 1 million random Web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period, lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department said in papers filed Wednesday in federal court in San Jose.

Privacy advocates have been increasingly scrutinizing Google's practices as the company expands its offerings to include e-mail, driving directions, photo-sharing, instant messaging and Web journals.

Although Google pledges to protect personal information, the company's privacy policy says it complies with legal and government requests. Google also has no stated guidelines on how long it keeps data, leading critics to warn that retention is potentially forever given cheap storage costs.

The government contends it needs the data to determine how often pornography shows up in online searches as part of an effort to revive an Internet child protection law that was struck down two years ago by the U.S. Supreme Court on free-speech grounds.

The 1998 Child Online Protection Act would have required adults to use access codes or other ways of registering before they could see objectionable material online, and it would have punished violators with fines up to $50,000 or jail time. The high court ruled that technology such as filtering software may better protect children.

The matter is now before a federal court in Pennsylvania, and the government wants the Google data to help argue that the law is more effective than software in protecting children from porn.

The Mountain View-based company told The San Jose Mercury News that it opposes releasing the information because it would violate the privacy rights of its users and would reveal company trade secrets.

Nicole Wong, an associate general counsel for Google, said the company will fight the government's efforts "vigorously."

"Google is not a party to this lawsuit, and the demand for the information is overreaching," Wong said.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: americantaliban; bigbrother; google; govwatch; libertarians; nannystate; porn; snooping; statist
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To: Mojave

Not even a discretionary gift, eternal frivolity.


401 posted on 01/20/2006 12:48:53 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Mojave

Nice, now tell me about "American Online." I'm waiting.


402 posted on 01/20/2006 12:49:19 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: HiTech RedNeck
May <> must.

SALE = YOUR INVENTION

403 posted on 01/20/2006 12:49:46 AM PST by Mojave
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To: Mojave

Sale or gift; still holds if it is discretionary.


404 posted on 01/20/2006 12:50:26 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Mojave

AMERICAN ONLINE = YOUR INVENTION


405 posted on 01/20/2006 12:50:44 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: HiTech RedNeck
if Google may sell it,

Thinking of different ways to beg the same falsehood. How creative of you!

406 posted on 01/20/2006 12:51:05 AM PST by Mojave
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To: Mojave
Google: "We may share..." - Nothing about "sale" there

My vote for most intentionally obtuse post of the decade.
407 posted on 01/20/2006 12:51:44 AM PST by UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide (Give Them Liberty Or Give Them Death! - IT'S ISLAM, STUPID! - Islam Delenda Est! - Rumble thee forth)
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To: Mojave

Or even if Google may give it by its own discretionary choice. And how about that American Online falsehood of yours, buddy?


408 posted on 01/20/2006 12:52:01 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: HiTech RedNeck
Nice, now tell me about "American Online." I'm waiting.

You have the cite, anal question beggar.

409 posted on 01/20/2006 12:52:13 AM PST by Mojave
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Again:

"Yahoo, Microsoft and America Online all complied with a government request for data on consumers' Web searches, a Justice Department official said Thursday."

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/13665364.htm


410 posted on 01/20/2006 12:53:00 AM PST by Mojave
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To: Mojave

You are certainly the specialist in anal. I cede the crown to you.


411 posted on 01/20/2006 12:53:03 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Mojave

Microsoft, check.

America Online, check.

American Online... waiting, waiting, waiting...


412 posted on 01/20/2006 12:53:49 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: flashbunny

porn tax


413 posted on 01/20/2006 12:54:29 AM PST by School of Rational Thought (Republican - The thinking people's party)
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To: UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide
intentionally obtuse

Quite. Search engines also release information in investigations.

414 posted on 01/20/2006 12:55:09 AM PST by Mojave
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To: HiTech RedNeck

I hate to say it, but Scalia, Roberts and Alito will also loose their rationality when it comes to anything they consider moral vice.


415 posted on 01/20/2006 12:55:41 AM PST by UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide (Give Them Liberty Or Give Them Death! - IT'S ISLAM, STUPID! - Islam Delenda Est! - Rumble thee forth)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
America Online, check.

Yep. You went down in flames.

416 posted on 01/20/2006 12:56:42 AM PST by Mojave
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To: UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide
Scalia, Roberts and Alito will also loose their rationality

Freudian slip.

417 posted on 01/20/2006 12:57:42 AM PST by Mojave
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To: Mojave

They may so choose. Google has chosen not to. Google will win -- especially since, as the goober-mint has gotten data from other sources, the goober-mint doesn't need Google now anyhow.


418 posted on 01/20/2006 12:57:58 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Mojave

No, but your pants are still burning.

America Online, yes.

American Online, your invention.


419 posted on 01/20/2006 12:58:37 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Mojave

Time they stopped or people change services.
If MSN hoped to take business from Google, that isn't the way to do it.


420 posted on 01/20/2006 12:59:30 AM PST by UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide (Give Them Liberty Or Give Them Death! - IT'S ISLAM, STUPID! - Islam Delenda Est! - Rumble thee forth)
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