This whole government asking Google to turn over records is really putting the PR smack down on Google it seems.

The attention that has been drawn to the major search engines that handed over anonymous search results subpoenaed by the U.S. Justice Department has brought into question whether the Internet businesses can be trusted with people’s private information.

On Thursday, America Online Inc., Microsoft Corp.’s MSN, Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. acknowledged that they received subpoenas from government prosecutors trying to revive the 1998 Child Online Protection Act that was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo acknowledged handing over search data to the government; Google has refused and intends to fight, saying the Bush administration’s requests are too broad. [Read the rest]