Google announced the adoption of new privacy measures aimed at making it more difficult to bridge online search requests with the people making those requests.
The Mountain View, CA-based company believes this move might prevent showdowns with the federal government over such sensitive data. The new initiative will “wrap a cloak” of anonymity around the mountains of information Google collects about its millions of users, daily.
The search giant believes it can provide more assurances of privacy by removing key pieces of identifying information from its system every 18 to 24 months. A company spokesperson claims the timetable is designed to comply with “a hodgepodge of laws” in various countries that determine how long Internet search engines are required to retain user information.
Federal authorities still could demand review of personal information before Google purges it, or they may take legal action to compel the company to keep data beyond the new time limits. Nevertheless, Google’s additional safeguards mark the first time a major Web search engine has spelled out precisely how long it will hold onto personal, individual data about someone’s ‘net surfing habits.
