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September 25, 2006

Suit filed against AOL; seeks to block search history storage

Marshall Kirkpatrick

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A class action lawsuit was filed in California today against AOL for last month’s disclosure of thousands of users’ search results. The suit (PDF) seeks no less than $1000 in damages per user effected and $4000 more per user in California. Privacy is cheap!

The most interesting part of the suit is that the plaintiffs seek to force AOL to stop storing search data all together. The suit also demands that user search data not appear in further search results and not be used for commercial or non-commercial purposes. Though this is probably an unrealistic demand to make, it’s also a broad attack on many of the most interesting developments on the web today. Our data is valuable, exposing it freely to the world without our permission is obviously a horrifying thought, but that valuable resource should be used for our benefit and according to our desires - not destroyed.

Filed in US District Court of Northern California, the suit was brought by three AOL users represented by the law firm Berman DeValerio Pease Tabacco Burt & Pucillo.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 25th, 2006 at 3:04 pm and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Comments

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  1. John Beales

    September 25th, 2006 at 4:53 pm

    While I think you’re right in saying when you say “that valuable resource, (the search data), should be used for our benefit and according to our desires - not destroyed” the flip side is that if it’s not stored then the US government can’t force search companies to hand it over to the Department of Homeland Security, (or whoever), to look for “terrorists.”

  2. Greg Yardley

    September 26th, 2006 at 6:17 am

    Or for terrorists, without the ironic quotation marks.

  3. PJ

    September 26th, 2006 at 8:09 am

    In the end, who really gets the privacy here?

    If you make data storage rules for AOL, don’t you think that affects future storage of data (logs, metrics, etc.) on your own server? Doesn’t this go both ways? Do you want someone telling you how long you can keep old emails, chat logs, blog comments, forum postings…?

    I think the answer is: If you don’t like AOL, maybe try Clusty, Google, Ask, Yahoo, DMOZ, etc. Or buy some bandwidth and code your own SE.

  4. Joseph Hunkins

    September 26th, 2006 at 9:09 am

    The Government viewing my data is low on my list of privacy concerns because I doubt they’ll choose to or be able to effectively process the information in sinister ways, but it bothers me that my search “fingerprint” is getting used without my consent, understanding, or permission in an effort by Google, Yahoo, et al to sell me things and adjust my search and internet experiences.

    If they want to do that they need to let me know the process they use to do it. If they think sharing that process violates their need for commercial secrecy then…do NOT use my stuff.

  5. Matt

    September 26th, 2006 at 3:32 pm

    There are many industries where our personal information is mined to learn things about us. Our purchases are tracked (especially if you use discount cards at the supermarket), and what do you think the credit industry does? Information exists to be used; if we don’t always like how, then that dissatisfaction comes with living in this society. If every other industry analyzes its customer data, why should search engines be held to a higher, or at least less realistic standard?

    First of all, if you use multiple search engines as someone mentioned above (which is also leads to better searches) your search profile will not be represented completely within one company’s data warehouse.

    Second, if remove cookies from your system, you reduce data that can be provided directly from your system without your knowledge.

    Third, spend a couple of hours research Swedish doily-making, or something outside your typical searches (if you’re already a doily freak). That will surely throw the hounds off your trail!

  6. Pam Robinson

    December 28th, 2006 at 2:13 pm

    Can someone please tell me how I can get in on the AOL lawsuit that was filed in CA or whoever filed it. I was double billed by AOL for almost two years. When I discovered it i called them and tried to get a refund and they just laughed at me and told me there was nothing they could do about it. I will billed for an account they was to have been closed 2 years prior to that. An account when i discovered it (less than 30 days old, I contacted them and it was to have been closed). In order to stop the billing i had to change my method of payment. Is there anyway I can have information to join the lawsuit?

    Thanking you in advance for your help.

    Pam Robinson

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