Regulating Search Engines? - Calif. Initiative For Internet Privacy

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: October 2, 2006 12:06:07 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: Regulating Search Engines? - Calif. Initiative For Internet  
Privacy



Dave,

Of possible interest ...

--Lauren--

  - - -

CIFIP - California Initiative For Internet Privacy
( http://www.cifip.org ) -- is a public effort launched in October 2006
to explore the desirability and possible implementation of voluntary
and/or mandated approaches toward improving a range of
Internet-related privacy issues.  The possibility of legislative
actions, including particularly the potential placing of a voter
initiative on the 2008 California ballot dealing with search engine
data retention and privacy, are important initial facets of this
project.

CIFIP has been founded by Internet veteran Lauren Weinstein, who is
based in Los Angeles.

Major Internet search services firms, such as Google, Yahoo!, and
AltaVista (all three based in California) plus other similar firms
with substantial physical facilities located within this state, are
routinely collecting vast amounts of data from those persons who
conduct searches or perform other operations on these companies'
systems.  This data frequently includes the details of the searches
(that is, the search keywords themselves), connection-related data
that can be used in most cases to identify the source of those
searches, and other information potentially subject to both internal
or external abuse.

Much of this data is intensely personal in nature.  Our search
requests cover a vast range of topics, including medical and other
sensitive queries, business and other research, and for most of us a
whole host of searches relating to our personal information,
interests, desires, dreams, fantasies, and even fears, among other
topics.  The outrage over AOL's recent publishing of a vast cache of
users' search data served to demonstrate the sensitivity of this
data in dramatic fashion ...

For more information, including announcement and public discussion
lists, etc., please see:

http://www.cifip.org

Thank you for your consideration.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com






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