Google yields to Brussels pressure

Article reports that Google has bowed to political pressure from the European Union and will reduce the time it keeps user details in its search logs. In a response filed to European data regulators, September 2008, the US-based search engine said it would anonymise IP addresses - numbers that identify a user's internet connection - after nine months. Currently the wiping of user data happens at 18 months.

ESO: Background information: Google takes a hit over data privacy http://www.europeansources.info/record/google-takes-a-hit-over-data-privacy/

Google: Press Release, 9.9.08: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/another-step-to-protect-user-privacy.html http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/another-step-to-protect-user-privacy.html

Google: Press Release, 9.9.08: Update to Google Suggest http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/update-to-google-suggest.html

BBC News, 9.9.08: Google to dump user data earlier http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7605801.stm

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