Wow… Google released queries made from a specific household in a court case.
Now, the case is pretty horrible, but that’s not the point – the fact the Google HAS the data to share is what’s disturbing. The fact that they can share with the courts what day and what HOUSEHOLD made SPECIFIC SEARCHES is the issue.
WHY does Google save the IP address?! There’s NO reason for that. Oh… for tracking purposes so they can sell targeted advertising? No. Oh… for making their product better by analyzing data and changing their design based on usage? No. There’s NO reason to SAVE the IP address. All they need to do is give that IP address a random, unique number, then dump the "Personally Identifiable Information" (PII) and then they still have all the data they need for metrics and tracking.
Again, the case I’m referring to is terrible, but pretend that you’re looking up information about cancer, but you don’t want your family to know you have cancer. Then, when you die and the family sues the doctor for malpractice? When the court gets the search data from Google, sure the doctor is off the hook, but what an embarrassment for the family that their parent/grandparent didn’t want the family to know?
"Web searches detailed in Casey Anthony case – ‘Neck breaking,’ ‘household weapons’ among Google searches, records say" – www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27928174
It just makes me wonder and worry what other PII Google is collecting and saving. Maybe "anonymous" web browser software needs to be the next big thing…