Google’s response is leaky at best

ajg: Google’s argument against delivering one week of search terms to the Feds isn’t holding water with the Justice Department.

The reason is clear: AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft have complied without all the wailing and moaning.

Google’s plea: We’re trying to protect client privacy, we’d have to reveal trade secrets in the process, it would be too much work and take too much time.

The government response: we don’t want any personal info, you won’t have to reveal how it’s done just do it and, all the others managed without too much trouble.

It would be lovely to back Google on this, but they tripped over themselves abandoning their principles at China’s border. Now, their objection just rings evil.

Email Battles Backgrounder:

• Congressional Hearing Exposes Goolag; Cult of the Dead Cow Flies Again; Email Battles; 15 February 2006.
• Google can’t afford to give US data; NewsByte; Email Battles; 24 January 2006.
• Google censors Chinese from the USA; NewsByte; Email Battles; 25 January 2006.
• Google This: You Don’t Need Search Engines To Protect Your Privacy; Email Battles; 26 January 2006.
• Safe in the USA, Google finds the spine it lost in China; NewsByte; Email Battles; 20 January 2006.

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