Attorney General and Google Go To Court

Seamax News ^ | 2/28/06 | Morgan Sansbury

[EvilHomer]

The Justice Department will take Google to court on March 13 in San Jose, California, in response to Google’s repeated refusal to comply with federal subpoenas demanding information regarding the search engine’s database, specifically information related to searches conducted using the engine and the web sites available to Google’s users.

Google is the largest search engine in the world, and the only one that has not cooperated with the Justice Department so far. Google claims these demands are a violation of privacy, but the government has assured them that no individuals would be identified by name, only their searches would be handed over.

For Google, the issue may be one of principle. The information, if obtained by the federal government, would be used to bolster support for the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), a law which was passed in 1998 but was stalled with legal challenges. In 2004 it was sent back to a court of appeals for a trial based on its technical merit, and has been there ever since.

COPA was designed to protect children from viewing sexually explicit material online, but privacy advocates fear that such regulations could be used by the government for more than their stated purposes.

For almost 2 years the Justice Department has been fighting for COPA, and this is the most recent battleground. As the largest and most successful search engine, it would certainly set a precedent favorable to search engines like Google if the Justice Department could be defeated in a court of law. Likewise, if Google were defeated the case could be used by future governments to subpoena more than just anonymous search data.

[TommyDale]

Yeah, the government won't see any names, only IP addresses!

[kingu]

Considering how much of the internet is now connected through Google's search engine, I'm not surprised they'd object. But using the excuse of privacy? Sorry, it doesn't wash when you cooperate with China's draconian system.

Google should publish a data search price list, open it to anyone who wants to pay the money, and if the US Government wants to be one of the consumers of that data, more power to them. Search data is one of google's biggest assets, and COPA or no COPA, granting access to that data should come at a huge price tag.

[NJ_gent]

Give 'em Hell, Google.

[inquest]

Well, it's a bit inconsistent for Google to be standing up to the Justice Department but cooperating with the ChiCom authorities, nonetheless I'm glad they're doing it. Sometimes hypocrisy is the just the least bad option.

[Nitro]

What do you mean?

Google knuckled under to the commies.

[NJ_gent]

"Google should publish a data search price list, open it to anyone who wants to pay the money"

Doing this would kill their userbase. People would flee from Google in droves, using any other search engine (no matter how bad) rather than have information about themselves sold to the highest bidder.

[Paul Ross]

Well, it's a bit inconsistent for Google to be standing up to the Justice Department but cooperating with the ChiCom authorities...

My thoughts exactly.

Do No Evil.

[inquest]

What about the rest of the post? Your thoughts exactly as well?

[kingu]

Doing this would kill their userbase. People would flee from Google in droves, using any other search engine (no matter how bad) rather than have information about themselves sold to the highest bidder.

That data will eventually be sold to the highest bidder. Yahoo and MSN have both already sold part of their data trove, and also submitted the data to the US Gov. Where will people go? A9.com? That's google. Netscape? That's google. Most search engines are using google's dataset already. If you don't want your search data to be sold, don't search. It's pretty simple at this point.

[fhlh]

Google is run by Commies...
You see how much they donated to the DNC on 04?

[Know your rights]

The information, if obtained by the federal government, would be used to bolster support for the Child Online Protection Act

Trampling intellectual property rights in pursuit of nanny-statism. Swell.

[mtbopfuyn]

I'm against the goobernuts on this one.

[Nitro]

No wonder then, I didn't see them at the Republican National Convention at the Garden in 2004.

[katya8]

Damn.....that really sucks! Reminds me of the previous Attorney General and her jackbooted stormtroopers going after the little Cuban kid in Miami.

[avg_freeper]

Perhaps we should just ask China to ask Google for us.

[Paul Ross]

I support their opposition, its a stance that has to be advocated, and someone test the new laws. This will be going all the way to the top, IMHO.

But Where was this level of resolve with respect to China?

[EvilHomer]

I guess at the end of the day idealism lost to the prospect of over a billion new Google users. It is a business after all.

[NJ_gent]

They cooperated, which is unfortunate. However, I don't throw the baby out with the bath water. I like the fact that they haven't rolled over for our government, and I like the fact that one of the largest data accumulators isn't handing that information out to anyone and everyone who comes 'a knockin'.

[at bay]

Perhaps we should just ask China to ask Google for us.

And the 2006 touche award goes to...! Thank-you, I needed that. It will grace my sign when I confront these s.o.b.'s in San Jose on the 13th, with your permission.