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Europeans warn search engines: Delete user data sooner

Steven Parker   on 09 April 2008 - 10:46 · 26 comments & 11476 views

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A European Commission advisory body has suggested that search companies delete data collected about their users after six months -- a far cry from what most companies currently do. The recommendation arrived in a 29-page "opinion" (PDF) published Friday by a European Commission body known as the Article 29 Working Party. Backed by privacy groups, it has been pressuring Internet companies on the search data front for months. The report focused on advertising-supported search engines, as opposed to search functions embedded in Web sites.

The Working Party's suggestions don't officially have the force of law yet, but they are expected to be adopted by the EC. The EC already adopted a broader set of data protection laws a decade ago, but this report was meant to address specifically how search engines, including those headquartered outside its borders, fit into that setup.

Privacy in search engines is critical because "an individual's search history contains a footprint of that person's interests, relations, and intentions," which can then be mined by businesses and national security operatives alike, the working party wrote.

News Source: ZDNet Australia

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#1 illz55 on 09 Apr 2008 - 11:02
Very nice to hear. Hopefully they make this a law eventually.
(8 replies) #2 SniperX on 09 Apr 2008 - 12:45
Replies generated by ACME Response Predictor v1.2b

Reply Prediction 1:
Screw the Europeans. America should just buy Europe!

Reply Prediction 2:
Screw the Europeans. America should just stop doing business with them. That would show them!

Reply Prediction 3:
Blame Steve Jobs!

Reply Prediction 4:
Blame Bill Gates!

Reply Prediction 5:
Releasing Vista too early made this worse!

Reply Prediction 6:
Are you crazy? Thanks to Vista's enhanced security, this is a non-issue!

Reply Prediction 7:
How did this make the front page?

Reply Prediction 8:
Slow news day, eh?

No More Predictions.

Last edited by SniperX on 09 Apr 2008 - 12:51
#2.1 +mad_onion on 09 Apr 2008 - 13:36
lol very true, this story isn't very interesting so your comment is the kind of thing i was expecting as in it has nothing to do with this "news". mabye this will be worth posting when it actually becomes law.

anyway i choose reply 7
#2.2 Magallanes on 09 Apr 2008 - 13:55
Give me a combo with the number 2 and 7, please.
#2.3 ThePitt on 09 Apr 2008 - 15:38
Reply Prediction 1:
Screw the Europeans. America should just buy Europe!

With WHAT money?. US dollar is almost trash on this days... Only worth on 3rd world contries...
#2.4 Tha Bloo Monkee on 09 Apr 2008 - 15:53
How is your comment any better, SniperX?
#2.5 +Shadrack on 09 Apr 2008 - 19:28
(ThePitt said @ #2.3)
Reply Prediction 1:
Screw the Europeans. America should just buy Europe!

With WHAT money?. US dollar is almost trash on this days... Only worth on 3rd world contries...


The exchange rate is not the same as worth.
#2.6 SniperX on 10 Apr 2008 - 07:15
(Tha Bloo Monkee said @ #2.4)
How is your comment any better, SniperX?
Doh! You're so right. Boy, do I feel stupid right now. I'd better change my name or something, to help deal with the humiliation. Warnings to the usual address please....
#2.7 +Octol on 10 Apr 2008 - 19:33
(SniperX said @ #2)
Reply Prediction 1:
Screw the Europeans. America should just buy Europe!

Too late! We already bought Iraq, and we just don't have the funds.
#2.8 Tha Bloo Monkee on 11 Apr 2008 - 03:13
(SniperX said @ #2.6)
(Tha Bloo Monkee said @ #2.4)
How is your comment any better, SniperX?
I'd better change my name or something, to help deal with the humiliation.

#3 NPGMBR on 09 Apr 2008 - 12:54
Not sure if I remember this correctly but I think the U.S. regulation governing this issue sets the retention date farther out. If the EC adopted this as law it would butt head with the U.S. so now sure how it would all work out if the EC is trying to extend it to companies that operate or are headquartered outside the EC's jurisdiction.
(4 replies) #4 vetneufuse on 09 Apr 2008 - 13:50
How in the world do websites comply with stuff like this? especially when they cover many jurisdictions... if a server is in the USA and the USA requires one set of data retention on ALL tranasctions on the server, then the EU comes and says get rid of our transactions... the Get rid of ours violates the all in the other jurisdiction... kinda makes it almost impossible to work unless you make a distributed system where you have servers in the EU which do their logs and servers in the USA that do their logs and somehow break apart what to do then replicate all the other data... but that would be a pain in the butt for smaller companies
#4.1 daPhoenix on 09 Apr 2008 - 14:43
(neufuse said @ #4)
How in the world do websites comply with stuff like this? especially when they cover many jurisdictions...

Depends where your business is located - if your business operates in EU they have to follow the EU laws, if they operate in USA they follow the local laws etc.

If the person/people/company running the service is in EU and the servers are in USA, the business can be sued / banned from operating in EU if they break the laws.
#4.2 z0phi3l on 09 Apr 2008 - 15:17
(daPhoenix said @ #4.1)
(neufuse said @ #4)
How in the world do websites comply with stuff like this? especially when they cover many jurisdictions...

Depends where your business is located - if your business operates in EU they have to follow the EU laws, if they operate in USA they follow the local laws etc.

If the person/people/company running the service is in EU and the servers are in USA, the business can be sued / banned from operating in EU if they break the laws.



So in essence it's another rule geared at screwing over businesses that don't actually reside within the EU, so ~90% of the targeted businesses I'd guess
#4.3 Brodel on 09 Apr 2008 - 15:34
(z0phi3l said @ #4.2)
(daPhoenix said @ #4.1)
(neufuse said @ #4)
How in the world do websites comply with stuff like this? especially when they cover many jurisdictions...

Depends where your business is located - if your business operates in EU they have to follow the EU laws, if they operate in USA they follow the local laws etc.

If the person/people/company running the service is in EU and the servers are in USA, the business can be sued / banned from operating in EU if they break the laws.



So in essence it's another rule geared at screwing over businesses that don't actually reside within the EU, so ~90% of the targeted businesses I'd guess


Please. What makes you think that businesses residing within the EU don't have to follow EU laws now? I'm also assuming that if the shoe were on the other foot, you'd be happy for EU companies not to comply with US law whilst operating there?
#4.4 z0phi3l on 09 Apr 2008 - 20:59
(Brodel said @ #4.3)
(z0phi3l said @ #4.2)
(daPhoenix said @ #4.1)
(neufuse said @ #4)
How in the world do websites comply with stuff like this? especially when they cover many jurisdictions...

Depends where your business is located - if your business operates in EU they have to follow the EU laws, if they operate in USA they follow the local laws etc.

If the person/people/company running the service is in EU and the servers are in USA, the business can be sued / banned from operating in EU if they break the laws.



So in essence it's another rule geared at screwing over businesses that don't actually reside within the EU, so ~90% of the targeted businesses I'd guess


Please. What makes you think that businesses residing within the EU don't have to follow EU laws now? I'm also assuming that if the shoe were on the other foot, you'd be happy for EU companies not to comply with US law whilst operating there?


If the EU law forces a conflict with a law where the provider is based from the EU law essentially "screws over" the company because they have to follow the law of their operating country and/or violate EU law

So yes it does screw over non EU based companies since the law doesn't take into account what the rest of the world is currently doing. I though there might be treaties that also affect this so until it is actually passed as a law it is just speculation.
(4 replies) #5 X'tyfe on 09 Apr 2008 - 14:39
always looking out for the people, another win for EU
#5.1 C_Guy on 09 Apr 2008 - 16:06
Yeah if "the people" means the EU's greedy pockets. Yet another tactic to steal money. Consumer protection is the illusion. It's the last thing on the EU's mind but they succeeded in fooling some.

Apparently.
#5.2 Tha Bloo Monkee on 09 Apr 2008 - 16:24
(C_Guy said @ #5.1)
Yeah if "the people" means the EU's greedy pockets.

How does this gain them more money? If anything, there's less data to be mined and sold for marketing.
#5.3 illz55 on 09 Apr 2008 - 18:46
(C_Guy said @ #5.1)
Yeah if "the people" means the EU's greedy pockets. Yet another tactic to steal money. Consumer protection is the illusion. It's the last thing on the EU's mind but they succeeded in fooling some.

Apparently.


Yeah, what no earth are you talking about? Use some logic.
#5.4 theyarecomingforyou on 10 Apr 2008 - 13:57
How would it "steal money"? If anything search companies and advertisers would oppose this and cause them to withhold money. It really does seem the EU wants to protect the consumer rather than the business. Now if they could just get rid of corruption and farming subsidies then it might be on the way to becoming a decent organisation.
(1 reply) #6 ThePitt on 09 Apr 2008 - 15:42
The world should be like Europe recommend. The thing is the americans are here to make that not to happend.
#6.1 Frogboy on 10 Apr 2008 - 01:54
Given European birthrates, the problem will solve itself in another 50 to 70 years...
(1 reply) #7 Frogboy on 10 Apr 2008 - 01:53
SniperX is a freaking genius! It's as simple as that.
#7.1 SniperX on 10 Apr 2008 - 07:08
I strive to gain your approval. Still, made a change to see you make a post that wasn't an advertisement for one of your products.

Last edited by SniperX on 10 Apr 2008 - 07:13
#8 +Octol on 10 Apr 2008 - 19:37
Hmm...for once the EC is doing something right. However, if it were up to me, I'd limit personal data retention to no more than 30 days. Screw the search engines...all of 'em.

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