The AOL web queries hubbub | www.spyware-net.com

The AOL web queries hubbub

In case you missed it, AOL has released data about the web queries of 658,000 people to a spankin new research site – then got burned for it, took the data down, and apologized for the “screw-up.”

The problem with this kind of thing is that even when the data is supposed to be anonymous, the web queries can sometimes paint pretty significant pictures about the users and their web use. From Techcrunch’s Michael Arrington,

The most serious problem is the fact that many people often search on their own name, or those of their friends and family, to see what information is available about them on the net. Combine these ego searches with porn queries and you have a serious embarrassment. Combine them with “buy ecstasy” and you have evidence of a crime. Combine it with an address, social security number, etc., and you have an identity theft waiting to happen. The possibilities are endless.

The Techcrunch articles here and here, and the CNet piece here.

Jeffrey Pe Benito
Writer
FBM Software


	The AOL web queries hubbub In case you missed it, AOL has released data about the web queries of 658,000 people to a spankin new research site – then got burned for it, took the data down, and apologized for the “screw-up.” The problem with this kind of thing is that even when the data is supposed to be anonymous, the web queries can sometimes paint pretty significant pictures about the users and their web use. From Techcrunch’s Michael Arrington, The most serious problem is the fact that many people often search on their own name, or those of their friends and family, to see what information is available about them on the net. Combine these ego searches with porn queries and you have a serious embarrassment. Combine them with “buy ecstasy” and you have evidence of a crime. Combine it with an address, social security number, etc., and you have an identity theft waiting to happen. The possibilities are endless. The Techcrunch articles here and here, and the CNet piece here. Jeffrey Pe Benito Writer FBM Software Post a Comment Jeffrey Pe Benito's blog Add new comment