Google in the government's sights
In case you hadn't heard, Google is challenging the Justice Department's subpoena to turn over the search records of its millions of users -- records that federal attorneys are seeking to obtain in an attempt to defend the Child Online Protection Act, a controversial child pornography law being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union. The government wants to trawl through Google's data to show how easy it might be for minors to "stumble" across porn.
Although the subpoenas were issued months ago it only became clear last week that (as the LA Times notes) "federal investigators had obtained potentially billions of Internet search requests made by users of major websites run by Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp. and America Online Inc" (see Joseph Menn & Chris Gaither, "U.S. Obtains Internet Users' Search Records"). The piece goes on:
- The information turned over to Justice Department lawyers reveals a week's worth of online queries from millions of Americans — the Internet Age equivalent of eavesdropping on their inner monologues. The subpoenaed data could, for example, include how many times people searched online for "apple pie recipes," "movie tickets 90012" or even "bomb instructions."
. . .
Privacy advocates said the opportunity to peruse search queries provided an unprecedented glimpse into people's private thoughts and habits. Virtually unknown a decade ago, search engines rapidly have become an integral part of daily life.
(There's a good overview provided by NPR's Sunday evening All Things Considered.)
While Google’s stance seems to be smart business practice – presenting itself as a brave David standing up to the Goliath of Big Government makes it look cool – for the rest of us the issue is crucially important. Like so much else in this Brave New Digital World, the question is one of privacy – from both the government and big corporations and business organizations such as Google. All of this raises serious concerns not only about how this massive data trove will be used by these groups.
First, the government. the Justice Department's fishing expedition is part of a bigger picture involving the federal government's (and particularly the Bush administration's) belief that if has the right to gain pretty much untrammelled access to citizens' digital records if it feels the cause is just. Notes the LA Times, "Congress is debating an extension of the Patriot Act, which dramatically expanded the government's ability to obtain private data. And congressional hearings are expected soon on the legality of a National Security Agency program to track communications by U.S. citizens without prior court approval."
Citizens' privacy from government intrusion is a huge issue for our democracy -- and an issue that not enough attention is being paid to. Google co-founder Larry Page, speaking on ABC News Friday night, called the government's subpoena the virtual equivalent of sending the police around to search every home in the country for a week, just in case there might be any pornography in anyone's house that might (might) be found by a child and have an impact on that child's upbringing. Of course, any such attempt by the government would be inconcievable (and unconstitutional, thanks to the Fourth Amendment.
As for Google, it may not quite be the knight in shining armor it likes to present itself as. (Listen to this NPR piece that questions Google's true motives.) Google’s motto may be "Don’t be Evil, " but I wonder just how long that motto will hold in the face of potentially massive profits for this company that has perhaps as close an impression of how its users’ brains work as anyone possibly could have. How’s that? Well, as the Wall Street Journal notes,
- Some privacy advocates say Google should retain less data about users, and for shorter periods, in order to reduce the risk of privacy infringement by the government or others. "The broader question is why is Google keeping so much information at all," said Kevin Bankston, staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco-based Internet civil-liberties group. "If you are a heavy user of Google, that is the closest thing to a printout of the contents of your brain that modern technology has yet devised."
A printout of the contents of your brain. Now that's scary.
posted by hdougie at 1/23/2006 10:30:00 AM
11 Comments:
It's strange-- almost every time I hear about this story, it's always in praise of Google for maintaining the privacy of its users-- a view that I share, in fact. What I'm finding odd is that one would think that someone out there would be balking at Google's refusal to assist the goverment in its efforts to "protect kids from porn," which is what the government is billing it as. And yet, I haven't really heard much of that. Going off of what Rachel said, I think it's really a positive sign that people's attitudes are starting to become a bit more rational. The post-9/11 insanity is wearing off, maybe? Either way, people are at least starting to remember that yes, we do have a Constitution, and that it's more than just a pretty piece of paper. A good sign all around, I feel.
--- Catherine Cefalu
I for one agree with both of the above comments. After 9/11 the United States citizens lost track of what our country stands for. We have the right of privacy and why it continues to be violated by this government administration baffles me. Since then we have had the Patriot Act I introduced allowing the government to peer deeply into our privacy and almost were compelled into the Patriot Act II which was even more marginalizing. And I agree with Catherine, I praise Google for securing my personal data along with others. When will this stop, a new administration? When will check and balance system we all know so well step in? The citizens need to come out of the fear they live in right now due to 9/11 and start embracing and challenging the government’s actions. As Roosevelt once said, “We have nothing to fear but fear it self.”
-Ashley Coon
One of the greatest things about the internet is the freedom it permits to anyone and everyone. No matter the gender, race, creed, etc., everyone is equal on the information superhighway and anyone is allowed to view the information they desire. In fact, the internet may be that last haven we as Americans have for complete liberty. And with laws such as the Patriot Act and events such as wiretapping becoming less the plots of summer blockbusters and more a reality, it is important for us, as Americans, to perform the most patriotic duty possible and maintain a dissention from corrupted governments. The idea of tapping Google's databases to obtain private information on the basis of protecting children from material THEY deem inapporpriate is preposterous. This harks back memories of going to war to prevent the use of WMD's, or gathering all Jews to help the economy. Okay, maybe those are a bit extreme, but my point is that it seems like another hidden agenda concealed behind a helpful, useful and "good" act by the government to protect the American people. Unfortunately we live in a shady, greedy and selfish world in which most people only do the things that are in their interest. If the government is telling us that using Google's information will assist them in protecting us, we need to question their motives, not just of this administration, but everyone since and to come. Who knows, maybe this is a moral act on the part of the government and they only have good intentions...all I believe and hope to encourage is that people begin to question, analyze and second-guess everything this, and any government does, instead of being led blindly through duties only and "unpatriotic" or "America-hater" would doubt.
~ Dan Christensen
I can definately see where everyone is coming from here. If given the choice, I would prefer that the government didn't see what I search on Google. However, as an individual, I don't think I would be affected. My life wouldn't change. I probably wouldn't even know the difference. I would only be another statistic, a needle in a hay stack. It's not like they know me personally. They aren't going to go around sharing with everyone that I looked up "unicorns" on September 23rd. Furthermore, I disagree with the statement that Google searches are "a printout of the contents of your brain." I think that is a bit of an over statement. People use Google for a number of reasons that by no means define who we really are. I want privacy just like everyone else , but I don't mind sacrificing as long as the government has good intensions. As stated before, it is important that we question the government's motives to ensure that they are acting on behalf of our best interest.
Kim Veley
I think we have to remember who's rights we are sticking up for when we protest the government's "domestic spying" habits. Some people might argue that what makes Americans 'American' is their civil rights and the democratic environment they all live in. However, if Google giving up their search records of every person in America leads to the arrest of a child pornographer or a terrorist then what is everyone upset about? If something like this had been in place before 2001 then maybe 9/11 would never have even happened. People are so up in arms of what they call a violation of civil rights but unless you are doing something illegal what do you really have to worry about? I think the US has gotten so Anti-Bush that regardless of what he does people are going to complain, but this is one thing he has done that shows he is interested in the welfare of the people of America as opposed to the Big Businesses. The way the internet has taken over so many aspects of our lives it is important to monitor it somewhat if it means making the internet a safer place for children and all citizens. I think it would be niave of people to think that the government didnt already know they were searching google for ways to make a homemade bomb.
Tyson Terry
I find it very interesting that the majority of responses to Google’s refusal to give up the records are that it is a violation of personal privacy. I think that all of those people should look at the issue in the eyes of a parent of a young to teenage child(ren). When looked at from that angle, the issue takes a new direction. How would you feel if your child was searching something as simple as the American flag and one of the pages was of pornographic nature? I think that the internet needs some laws and/or regulations just like the rest of the media, and world for that matter. The only way to determine what laws/regulations to impose is to look at what has been done; to see what comes up when things are searched. Every time a something new comes into existence it runs with no regulations, until it can be scrutinized under watchful eye. It is time that the same happens with the internet.
Jenni Rowe
I agree that Google's stand is an important one in the recent attempts of the the Bush Administration to trample on the rights to privacy of the citizen's of the United States. While the subpeona claims its intention is to protect children from stumbling across porn I find it interesting they chose now to do so. It comes in far to close on the heels of the NSA unwarranted wiretaps for my comfort. If you can pardon the cliche - one smoking gun has not yet even stopped and yet here we have another, masked with the intention of "protecting our children." This issue of children stumbling across porn, and even predators on the internet is not a new one. In fact it's been an issue for some time - so why now, why this point in time. Perhaps the government feels as though it's protecting the interests of it's children. I personally say monitoring a child's online activity is a little too much micromanaging on part of the government. Perhaps the Bush administration assumes that the public is so uknowing and unparticipating in current events and the happenings of the country around them they won't notice. Or as some of the other comments have pointed out, since 9/11 perhaps the government feels it can take liberties with rights to privacy. Even if we could (which I don't feel we can at this point) grant that the government is acting with the best of intentions - I personally am not willing to risk what might come next from this administration. Individuals who used a google search engine did so with some expectation of privacy - and I believe it is Google's responsibility to protect that as long as they can. - Antonia Conklin-Heininger
I agree with the previous statements about the government's regulation of children online. There should definitely be restrictions on children's usage, and it is vital for a separate Google search engine to be made for only children's use. In today’s day in age children do not have a lot of access to certain things, and the Internet has opened up all possibilities for children, with gaming, music, and pornography. For years pornography has been a major concern for young children when accessing the Internet, but what about all the other illegal downloading going on children have access to through Google. It's one click away and a young child has illegal movies and music from Ares. As a result, the government must make harder efforts to limit children's usage online, through a new search engine. I mean I am not a parent, but know for a fact that whatever a parent says to the child, and whatever limits they do for their computer access, the young child will find a way to access illegal porn, music, and movies. Like the earlier comment someone posted about if the child was to type in American flag and up pops some pornographic sites. For the government, this should be the immediate intervention to restrict children, and develop some other search engine only for children's use.
Kenneth Charles Hicks
I stand-by the government's decisions. It has American's best interest in thought. I believe that everything Bush does and his reasons behind them are his ways of protecting American citizens. I think that the liberal minded people just want to attack everything he does and by doing this it gives people a negative outlook on things. The Google situation is ridiculous. If this is a way to ensure the lives of young children and every American then let them do what they have to do! These are just search engines, what is the big deal? If you're not doing anything illegal then relax and let the government do what it sees best and give President Bush and his administration a break!
Anastasia Emerson
I do admire Google for opposing the government's ever stretching arms of "anti-terrorism." I really don't believe for a second though that the main purpose is to protect its users. I'm surprised that they're the only search engine to do it too. It's so much more free media coverage, and stands to gain them more customers than it does to lose them. Not to mention that other companies could possibly piece together from court documents Google's secret formula that makes their search engine superior to others. At the same time, I don't particularly care if Google has a "printout of my brain" because I love Google that much. Now that's good PR right there! I know I'm not the only person online who loves Google. They have been doing things the right way for a long time.
Americans have the freedom of speech and the right to privacy and it's our duty as ciztens to not only use it but to protect it. It may seem that if Google gives in here everything will snowball and what we will be left with is a big-brotheresque goverment that controls our lives. Although I dont know if things will snowball that far its certainly something to think and worry about. I believe that we need to protect our freedoms but I also believe in taking measure's to protect our children and security. For me this is not a clear cut issue. Freedoms are important but it is right for Google to protect the privacy of child-pornographers? This whole issue, however reminds me of what we are learning in my International Poltics class and the Hobbesian concept of the Leviathan . In Hobbes concept of the Leviathan people give up great amounts of personal freedom in order to gain security and thus the ability to flourish. How much are Americans willing to give up for securty? Are we willing to give up our personal freedoms for safeguards against child molesters and terriorist? Google's case is at the forefront of a much larger issue that Americans are increasinly learning they must face in this post 9/11 world. The way Google is dealt with here could have great impacts on the future of America.
~Christina Moriarty
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