Right now is a tough time for Yahoo and Google’s PR dept(s). Why? Because of the their public image in the realm of personal privacy. As things stand now, some users may begin looking at privacy issues before making their next Web search.

In the realm of Web search, January was not a good month. We saw both disturbing government intrusions and disappointing private-sector concessions in the technology that transforms the digital plumbing of the Internet into a worldwide forum of community and commerce.

We believe it’s wrong for search engine providers to give up user information to governments, especially in the absence of appropriate authority to compel such release. [Read the rest]

[tags]web search,private-sector concessions,legal policy[/tags]

Tags: censorship issues, government intrusions, digital plumbing, worldwide forum