1.22.2006
Google Rebuffs U.S. Gov't Demand for Search Data (CTV.ca)
Updated Fri. Jan. 20 2006 11:27 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Google Inc. says it will "vigorously" fight the Bush administration's demand that it turn over information about what searches users have been asking it to perform.
The government wants a list of all requests entered into Google's search engine during an unspecified week. With an average of 70 million searches per day, that could mean tens of millions of search requests.
The White House also wants one million randomly selected Web addresses from various databases of the world's leading search engine.
The request was first made last summer. Google refused to comply, prompting U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales this week to ask a judge for a court order to force a handover of the requested records.
In an official statement, Nicole Wong, Google's associate general counsel, said: "Google is not a party to this lawsuit and their demand for information overreaches.
"We had lengthy discussions with them to try to resolve this, but were not able to and we intend to resist their motion vigorously."
The Bush administration says it needs the information in order to revive the 1998 Child Online Protection Act (COPA) which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court on grounds it violated the First Amendment.
What Google is most opposed to is the breadth of the government's request. The California-based company also says the information could reveal trade secrets.
The subpoena has also raised serious privacy concerns.
(More ... CTV.ca | Google rebuffs U.S. gov't demand for search data) ¶ 19:33
CTV.ca News Staff
Google Inc. says it will "vigorously" fight the Bush administration's demand that it turn over information about what searches users have been asking it to perform.
The government wants a list of all requests entered into Google's search engine during an unspecified week. With an average of 70 million searches per day, that could mean tens of millions of search requests.
The White House also wants one million randomly selected Web addresses from various databases of the world's leading search engine.
The request was first made last summer. Google refused to comply, prompting U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales this week to ask a judge for a court order to force a handover of the requested records.
In an official statement, Nicole Wong, Google's associate general counsel, said: "Google is not a party to this lawsuit and their demand for information overreaches.
"We had lengthy discussions with them to try to resolve this, but were not able to and we intend to resist their motion vigorously."
The Bush administration says it needs the information in order to revive the 1998 Child Online Protection Act (COPA) which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court on grounds it violated the First Amendment.
What Google is most opposed to is the breadth of the government's request. The California-based company also says the information could reveal trade secrets.
The subpoena has also raised serious privacy concerns.
(More ... CTV.ca | Google rebuffs U.S. gov't demand for search data) ¶ 19:33
