Google Data Retention Reduced

Privacy is a huge concern for individuals surfing the web. Google and other search engine companies have long held on to personal data for long periods of time. There has been an ongoing concern that personal search data is being used by Google and others to spy for the government on private citizens. While this is a step in the right direction, we need to let these companies know that privacy is paramount.

From the BBC: Google will limit the length of time it holds personally identifiable data

The move comes in response to a data protection group that wrote to the firm questioning its privacy policies. The European advisory body, called Article 29, said Google’s current data retention practices could be breaking European privacy laws. The search giant has said it will now keep personally identifiable search data for 18 months rather than the previous period of 18 to 24 months. – more

Irrepressible: Internet Freedom

This project is being started by Amnesty International to combat Internet censorship (http://irrepressible.info/)

About this campaign

The web is a great tool for sharing ideas and freedom of expression. However, efforts to try and control the Internet are growing. Internet repression is reported in countries like China, Vietnam, Tunisia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria. People are persecuted and imprisoned simply for criticising their government, calling for democracy and greater press freedom, or exposing human rights abuses, online.

But Internet repression is not just about governments. IT companies have helped build the systems that enable surveillance and censorship to take place. Yahoo! have supplied email users’ private data to the Chinese authorities, helping to facilitate cases of wrongful imprisonment. Microsoft and Google have both complied with government demands to actively censor Chinese users of their services.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. It is one of the most precious of all rights. We should fight to protect it.