RSSMicrosoft is open to purging its search caches after six months
By Jacqueline Emigh | Published December 9, 2008, 11:57 AM
Of the three major search engine companies, Microsoft is the first to voice its willingness to meet a request by EC regulators to keep users' search data for just six months. But Microsoft will only do so if Google and Yahoo also comply.
Microsoft told European authorities on Monday that it's willing to retain search data for six months rather than the current 18, but only if Google and Yahoo also agree to keep search data for six months.
Last spring, an advisory panel of the European Commission requested search companies to start keeping search for six months only. Google currently keeps search data on hand for nine months, and Yahoo for 13 months.
In replying to the EC some nine months after the request was issued, Microsoft contended that keeping search data on hand gives a company a competitive advantage.
The lack of a "common standard" around retaining this data "creates competitive challenges," said Microsoft's John Vassallo, in an interview posted on Microsoft's press site. "Ultimately, the search engine that has access to the most data is able to improve the relevance of its search results, which provides more consumer value and gives the company a competitive advantage."
Of the three search companies, however, Microsoft would have the least to lose in meeting the Commission's request. Microsoft trails Google and Yahoo substantially in the US market, and its standing in the rankings is even lower in Europe, where it holds only 2% of the market.
Yawn.
Maybe its time the EC regulators start equitably expecting all players to play by the same reasonable set of rules instead of their continuing efforts to regulate trade on a discriminatory piecemeal basis!?
Its time for the large IT companies to tell the EU to take their little courts trying to serve as trade regulators in lieu of the bodies that should be regulating this and that have failed so miserably, to take it or leave it.
Bottomline, the EU has no viable alternatives.
And like the rest of the world who must deal with MS products and compatibility whether they like it or not, they are free to use whatever platform they like...or not.
Its a two way street.
And I want to see the EU tell all of their people and the companies that they can no longer buy MS (or Apple for that matter) products...
It will make even Inspector Clouseau look inspired!
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|The only reason that a search engine would keep extended records linked to individual logins would be targeted advertising. Honestly, who wants more of that? All that does is allow them to charge more for their services, which ultimately means that the company with the biggest dollars gets the hits. How does that make a search more "relevant" to the user? All we'll see is the same junk we see through every other medium.
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|i m agree with Daryl Atamanyk, who have the control about the privacy data?..Google, yahoo, MSN are collect our information arbitrarily. I understand too the comments of Jga2781 and mjm01010101, but, why i have to hide my all activities in Internet??...There are not a institution for safe the bad practices of SE??...If i follow the advices of mjm01010101, i ll have to encrypt all my information, disallow cookies, changes user-agent and so on, Is not too much??...Microsoft said that they purging their cache data in 6 months, but , Can they interchanges the data with others partners for "research purpose"??....How can i sure that my history ll don't exist more in their servers??...It's a very complicate topic..Thanks for it.
Cheers
Rodrigo
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|We don't care, Microsoft. They don't need search data. They make *most* of our operating systems. The *could* have access to much more than that.
*note* All items in ** are not to be flamed about. :)
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|We choose to use their search engines. They should be allowed to keep the data that is put into it.
You have a choice... don't put YOUR data into the search engine and there won't be a problem.
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|http://www.nytimes.com/2...acy.html?ref=technology
What a spin! Why does Microsoft communication always tends to offend officials and the public of other nations because it is so much over the top:
"Microsoft *offered* Monday *to abide by* a European privacy panel’s request that it reduce the length of time it kept records of Web searches if its rivals, Yahoo and Google, did the same. ...Microsoft’s MSN Live Search currently retains search data for *18* months. Yahoo keeps data for *13* months and Google for *9* months. ...John Vassallo, a lawyer for Microsoft, said Microsoft was not willing to act alone because doing so would create a commercial disadvantage."
The Article 29 group set high standards. Here is their April report:
http://ec.europa.eu/just...pdocs/2008/wp148_en.pdf
Some things to keep in mind:
1. In Europe a public authority is not a berber bazaar.
2. The group found no reason for retention over 6 month.
3. Microsoft is free to explain why it has the longest retention period.
4. Microsoft cannot impose any conditions on the decision making process of a government institution basically because they are not on the same level.
5. Of course there will be a deal but Microsoft cannot "make a deal".
6. If you say you are a professional then don't bulls*** foreign governments: “We support the commissioners’ recommendations but are asking them to ensure these are uniformly observed,” said Mr. Vassallo, who is based in Brussels. “Otherwise, to do so unilaterally would put us at a disadvantage.”
Hilarious!
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|About time! I am tired of these search engines being allowed to keep OUR data stored at THEIR benefit!
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|You all are idiots!!! It isn't an invasion of your privacy you type the information into a public non-secure website there is no expectation of privacy. Not to mention the companies aren't using the data solely for their benefit as some have implied, that is simply secondary to your search results being better ie more relavent to what you are looking to find. Everyone is becoming huge whiners just shut up and let the companies get better at what we are asking them to do!
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|You just search, you didn't ask the search engine to record and profile your web rides.
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|So proxy your searches and don't save cookies. their search data becomes meaningless. People don't realize they have ultimate control, but they are lazy to do anything about it.
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|Why are they allowed to keep them at all: it's a huge invasion of personal privacy.
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|Because when you use their site you agree to their terms of Service.
How is it an invasion of privacy? Delete the session cookie, use an "anonymous" proxy, etc. The most they will have is IP address = search terms, if that.
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|google and yahoo had better step up, holding onto data for 13 months, thats just crazy and a slap in the face to privacy.
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