10 August 2006 | Author: R. Green

AOL admits to major public security error but Google stands firm

While AOL is trying to build up customer numbers and confidence with services such as free email, unique content provision and the introduction of new products, the recent privacy gaffe which was exposed earlier in the week has lead to renewed calls for restrictions on the type of data that internet companies can keep on their customers.

AOL's security breakdown managed to publicly expose the 21 million search requests which had been made by more than 658,000 AOL subscribers from March to May. While the data was intended to be released to specific researchers through a newly launched AOL Research site, the data was actually broadcast online to anyone who wanted to view it. Although the data was quickly removed from public view by AOL, the existence of at least one mirror site where the information could still be downloaded has meant that the full search logs are now freely available for anyone to use in any way they see fit.

While the database does not include names or user identities, the use of unique ID numbers means that all the search requests of individual AOL users can be viewed, and in many cases fairly specific profiles built up. As in the case of user 710794, these profiles can include information which can lead through simple inferences, to the geographic location of the user, type and age of car driven, that they are an overweight golfer, are interested in local youth sports, and they have searched for possible explicit photographs and videos of minors. Other users' search requests reveal possible drug or psychological problems, and even the potentially criminal murderous intent of specific users.

AOL has stated that:

"Although there was no personally identifiable data linked to these accounts, we're absolutely not defending this. It was a mistake, and we apologize. We've launched an internal investigation into what happened, and we are taking steps to ensure that this type of thing never happens again."

This situation is a source of embarrassment to Google, who provide the algorithms for the AOL search results, as well as owning a 5 per cent stake in the company. It also comes on the back of legal cases between the US legislature, MSN and Google, who were subpoenaed last year to present millions of users' search requests to be used as potential evidence for a court case concerning the online protection against child pornography. Following Google's refusal to divulge the information, there was a high-profile court tussle which finally resulted in a federal judge ruling that Google were not in fact required to hand over the search requests which were demanded by the government.

Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, said: "I have always worried the query stream is a fertile ground for governments to snoop on the people." However, in reference to the AOL blunder, he expressed that although he was alarmed, this breach would not change Google's current practice of storing their users' search requests in order to better understand what people are searching for on the internet so that future developments can better reflect the changing market.

Schmidt cautiously announced that, "We are reasonably satisfied...that this sort of thing would not happen at Google, although you can never say never."

Schmidt believes that the AOL mistake could still lead to some positive outcomes by helping to raise the public awareness surrounding the entire online privacy issue and how their seemingly private requests may be handled and stored.

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