What Search Sites Know About You

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Monty Solomon <monty () roscom com>
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 23:34:32 -0400
To: <undisclosed-recipient:;>
Subject: What Search Sites Know About You


What Search Sites Know About You

By Joanna Glasner
02:00 AM Apr. 05, 2005 PT

For most people who spend a lot of time online, impulsively typing
queries into a search engine has become second nature.

Got a nasty infection in an embarrassing spot? Look up a treatment on
your favorite search site. Obsessing about an ex? Try Googling his or
her name. Chances are the queries will unearth some enlightening
information.

But while search engines are quite upfront about sharing their
knowledge on topics you enter in the query box, it's not so clear
what they know about you. As operators of the most popular search
engines roll out more services that require user registration,
industry observers and privacy advocates say it's become more
feasible to associate a particular query with an individual.

"You should think about what you put in that search box, because it
may not be as anonymous as you think," said Danny Sullivan, editor of
SearchEngineWatch.com.

It has long been standard practice, Sullivan noted, for search sites
to employ cookies, which track activity on a computer's internet
browser. But cookies don't identify a person by name. If two people
access a site on the same browser, the cookie wouldn't distinguish
between them.

However, when people provide personal information to register for
services offered by search engine companies, such as free e-mail
accounts, news alerts or personalized homepages, they're no longer
anonymous.

...

http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,67062,00.html


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