U.S. Government Wants Google Search Records

Bush is after Google's private database of search queries. Why? For National Security? To track down terrorists? Nope. To defend a law struck down by the Supreme Court in 1998.

From JimBridgerBowl on Slashdot:

"According to the San Jose Mercury News, The Bush administration wants access to Google's huge database of search queries submitted by users to track how often pornography is returned in results. This information would be used for Bush's appeal of the 2004 COPA law, targeted to prevent access to pornography by children. The law was struck down because it would have restricted adults access to legal pornography. Google is promising to fight the release of this information." From the article: "The Supreme Court invited the government to either come up with a less drastic version of the law or go to trial to prove that the statute does not violate the First Amendment and is the only viable way to combat child porn. As a result, government lawyers said in court papers they are developing a defense of the 1998 law based on the argument that it is far more effective than software filters in protecting children from porn."

Is keeping kids from porn good? Yes. Is COPA in violation the first amendment? Yes. There are better and existing ways to keep kids from porn. This is nothing more than a way for the Government to stick their fingers ever deeper in our business. All the other search engines gave up their (and your) personal information to the Government:

Michael Bazeley and Howard Mintz of Mercury News writes:

Yahoo, Microsoft and America Online turned over records to the government that Google is refusing to relinquish, raising divisions within the nation's biggest search engines over what information should be private.

The legal dispute over whether the federal government can force Google to give up information from its search engine index is a reminder of the vast amount of personal information Internet companies collect on their users -- and the possibility it could reach third parties.

Some privacy experts said the Department of Justice's request is worrisome , particularly in an era when the government has stepped up surveillance in efforts to combat terrorism -- even admitting it has spied on Americans.

Remember, the only reason for this is the whim of Emperor Bush's Administration. I agree with Google. There is no way that Bush can have this information, it is not relevant nor is it something that they can just take for their personal causes.

The Bush administration on Wednesday asked a federal judge to order Google to turn over a broad range of material from its closely guarded databases.

The move is part of a government effort to revive an Internet child protection law struck down two years ago by the U.S. Supreme Court. The law was meant to punish online pornography sites that make their content accessible to minors. The government contends it needs the Google data to determine how often pornography shows up in online searches.

In court papers filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Justice Department lawyers revealed that Google has refused to comply with a subpoena issued last year for the records, which include a request for 1 million random Web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period.

The Mountain View-based search and advertising giant opposes releasing the information on a variety of grounds, saying it would violate the privacy rights of its users and reveal company trade secrets, according to court documents.

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

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

The case worries privacy advocates, given the vast amount of information Google and other search engines know about their users.

``This is exactly the kind of case that privacy advocates have long feared,'' said Ray Everett-Church, a South Bay privacy consultant. ``The idea that these massive databases are being thrown open to anyone with a court document is the worst-case scenario. If they lose this fight, consumers will think twice about letting Google deep into their lives.''

Can we Impeach him now? What more must he violate before the ultra-conservative Congress will say "enough is enough"?

The Slashdot article can be found here:
U.S. Government Wants Google Search Records

The Mercury News Articles can be found here:
Google Sparks Privacy Fight
Feds After Google Data

Technorati tags: First Amendment, Google, Bush, COPA