Friday, January 20, 2006

Google takes round I

In Google V Government.

For those of you who don't know here is the gist. The government put up some laws to try to fight pornographic access by kids. the enforcement got tossed out but the law itself wasn't ruled unconstitutional...just how it was being put into force.

So the guvment needed data about online porn and how it was being used. So the guvment asked google for it....unfortunately they asked by saying "or else"

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.


now instead of the government going to the search engine industry and trying to reach consensus on the issue (even under threat of possible action such as this) the Bush administration decided to go in lawyers blazing.

That was UTTERLY idiotic. Google is a buisness as is Yahoo, MSN, and the like. By sitting down with those buisness and talking about this as a way they can help not only their customers, but to keep uncle regulation out of the internet the federal government probably could have gotten more relevant information.

guess no one told Alberto Gonzales you can get more flies with honey then a kick in the crotch.

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