BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[More on AOL's release of customer search histories]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/08/07/more-on-aols-release-of-customer-search-histories/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/08/07/more-on-aols-release-of-customer-search-histories/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/08/07/more-on-aols-release-of-customer-search-histories/#commentsFiled under: , ,

SpyIn an earlier post, I confessed to not getting what the big deal could be over AOL's release of some customer search data (and for which they've expressed regret). Thanks to fellow BloggingStocks writer Amey Stone, for pointing me toward the consumerist. One factor I had not considered is that the very nature of the searching that someone might do, might also tend to reveal their identity. I google myself, and probably no one not named "Michael Canfield" is likely to google that name as often as those few of us that have it. Data like that (or searching your own social, or other personnel data) can be matched up with other searches that could be potentially embarrassing, invasive, or damaging. I guess.

To be fair to those for whom this issue is a high concern, one never knows who's watching, what they're looking for, or what they might do with it.

Michael Canfield still doesn't own stock in Time Warner

More on AOL's release of customer search histories originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Aug 2006 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aolaol screw upAolScrewUpgoogling yourselfGooglingYourselfonline privacyOnlinePrivacytime warnerTimeWarnerMon, 07 Aug 2006 19:43:00 EST<![CDATA[AOL search data release a "screw up"]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/08/07/aol-search-data-release-a-screw-up/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/08/07/aol-search-data-release-a-screw-up/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/08/07/aol-search-data-release-a-screw-up/#commentsFiled under: , ,

"This was a screw up, and we're angry and upset about it," Andrew Weinstein, an AOL spokesman said.

AOL released search information on about 20 million searches done from software over a three-month period. They characterized the leak as a small portion of keyword search info for about 658,000 anonymous users with the intent of reaching out to academia with new research tools. The info was released more than ten days ago, but not noticed till this weekend.

Searchers personal IDs were replaced with random numbers, so I'll admit my ignorance: I fail to see what the fuss is about. With luck, some commentators will weigh in here with their opinions, and set me straight on that. Is it the principle, or is there a real violation of privacy here? Are you unnerved about what companies might do with your search data?

Michael Canfield is a private investor and writer, in Seattle. He doesn't own stock in Time Warner, and is a freelancer, not an employee of AOL or Time Warner.

AOL search data release a "screw up" originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Aug 2006 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aolaol screw upAolScrewUpnet privacyNetPrivacyTime WarnerTimeWarnerMon, 07 Aug 2006 15:23:00 EST