The Expense of the People

I understand the need for search engine technology being improved – but at what cost? I believe this need for innovation and improvement is at the expense of the people. The major infraction here is the invasion of privacy, and I do not believe that any person or company has the right to pry themselves into another's personal business, regardless of what their intentions are. When the AOL search log incident occurred, hundreds of thousands of peoples' search logs were made public. These search logs contained peoples' darkest secrets. One of the search logs revealed a wife's secret affair, and another revealed a person's entire medical history. Several of these search logs contained full names and social security numbers as well, which made these people vulnerable to identity theft. These search logs represent more than just data; they represent a person's life. Kevin Bankston, lawyer from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said it best when he stated that these search logs represent “the most secret hopes, deepest fears and dirtiest laundry of every user. They provide a snapshot of incredibly intimate events and ideas, often revealing personal problems, financial difficulties, medical ailments, sexual preferences, and more.” What also concerns me is if search engines are sending our data to outside sources, then perhaps their main reason for collecting and storing search logs is for marketing purposes and not for improvement purposes.

Here are some interesting examples and lists of search logs that were stored and leaked via the AOL search log incident:

Yeah, I can really see how this information would help advertisers. Thanks a lot, AOL!