Google, Search Thyself

Regarding the Bush administration's attempts to access Google's search logs, I'm proud of Google for refusing to turn over the information, but there's a greater issue, and Slate's Tim Wu nails it:

Recent events suggest that relying on the present administration to protect such basic freedoms may be, shall we say, unpromising. Other governments are just as bad if not worse. That's why the public's demand must be of Google—not the state. It should be that Google please stop keeping quite so much information attached to our IP addresses; please modify logging practices so that all identifying information is stripped. And please run history's greatest "search and delete," right now, and take out the IP addresses from every file that contains everyone's last five years of searches.

As much as I respect Google's good intentions, I don't trust anyone else. Unless there's a specific court order for information, don't collect it. There's got to be a way to fine-focus the search (for services as outlined by Robert Cringely) without compromising the end-user's privacy.

Because seriously, I don't want anyone knowing two things: (1) How often I misspell words and Google tells me "Did you mean...?" and (2) About my insatiable appetite for images of shaved kitties.