To Finish

The issue of search engines storing our information is a controversy that pertains to everyone who uses the internet. The internet is a massive place with many risks, and information that a person sends over the internet can be intercepted. It is very likely that anyone that has researched a topic through a search engine has had their data stored and examined. We internet users have to take a stand and protect our privacy. People should have their freedoms of speech, expression, and privacy protected, and this controversy of search engines storing search logs is a blatant invasion of privacy. No one wants their private affairs to be seen by strangers that have no business looking into it. The America Online search log incident was the catalyst of this controversy as it concerned millions of people about their privacy on the internet. This incident demonstrated how personal and private matters can be seen by anyone, and in some cases, put people in serious danger. Some search logs contained critical identification information and opened people up for identify theft, spam, and stalkers. Currently, search engines still collect and store information from internet users, and we internet users should take a stand to protect our privacy. Perhaps changes can be made to this ongoing controversy if enough people become aware of this issue and make their concerns heard.

If you would like to read more on this controversy, here are links to some of the articles that I mentioned:
"Should Web Search Data Be Stored?" - Wall Street Journal Online Debate (Bankston and Erickson)
"No Place To Hide: Privacy Invasion and Censorship." - American Press Institute (McMasters)
"Google Rebuffs Feds On Search Requests." - The Boston Globe (Liedtke)
“Could Future Subpoenas Tie You to 'Britney Spears Nude'?” - Law.com (Lohmann)

Resolution List:
-Web anonymizers (Conceal yourself!)
-Search engines should revise their ways.
-Search engines should stop storing our information all together.
-Internet users can voice themselves by sending complaints to search engine companies.