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Google, gov't in search spat

Google is rebuffing the government's demand for a peek at what millions of people have been looking up on the Internet's leading search engine - a request that raises concerns Big Brother may be watching a little too closely.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales this week asked a federal judge in San Jose for an order to force a handover of the requested records.

The government wants a list of all requests entered into Google's search engine during a single week - a breakdown that could span tens of millions of queries. In addition, it seeks one million randomly selected Web addresses from various Google databases.

The government says the information is vital to restore online child protection laws that have been struck down by the Supreme Court.

Privacy experts are concerned about the potential link connecting individuals with searches.

"We may well be living in a new era here in terms of governments and data flow," said Pam Dixon, the executive director of the nonprofit World Privacy Forum. "This subpoena could, if fulfilled as originally requested, definitely compromise the privacy of quite a few people."

Dixon said about 30% of searches are connectable to the searcher. Regardless of the outcome of the legal battle, Dixon advised people never to type their full name and social security number in a search.

Others expressed similar concerns.

"If you are registered with Google so you can use G-mail or some other bundled service and you search on Google, they can link your real identity to your search terms," said Kevin Bankston, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

"What you Google for defines you," said Bankston. "It reveals very often your greatest hopes and your deepest fears, your personal business and medical problems and issues ... and plenty of other First Amendment protected activities that you do online."

Google objected to the government's subpoena, saying it would reveal trade secrets by providing the data and disclose personally identifiable information about its users.

In response, the government said it would keep the data secret and that the request wasn't for personal information.

Nicole Wong, a Google lawyer said the demand for information "over-reaches."

The information would "assist the government in its efforts to understand the behavior of current Web users, to estimate how often Web users encounter harmful-to-minors material in the course of their searches," the government's filing said.