I have been following the Google vs the US DoJ in the past few blog entries:
http://cypherjf.sscentral.com/2006/01/21/google-soga-follow-up/ http://cypherjf.sscentral.com/2006/01/20/rock-on-google/
Google called the Bush administration’s request for data on Web searches as “so uninformed as to be nonsensical” in papers filed in San Jose federal court Friday, arguing that turning over the information would expose its trade secrets and violate the privacy of its users.
The 21-page brief filed by the Mountain View search giant angrily dissected the government’s claim that the search results would produce useful evidence regarding child pornography. — MercuryNews.com Feb 17, 2006.
Read the rest of the article here.
I am totally agreeing with Google on this case. There is no way to guarantee what the government is going to do with it. Also, they mention that non-pornographic queries might be included such as social security numbers and other private topics.
Will they be considered “enemy of the state” as well for trying to protect their client’s private data against an unjust subpoena? “What is there to hide” - see my earlier blog entry regarding this “thinking”.