Why We Worry

Be careful what you search for. AOL released search records of more than 658,000 users. On purpose.

The records were released for use by researchers after account names were removed and replaced with random numbers. But many people could still be identified. Unfortunate AOL users that searched for their own names and other personally identifiable information are definitely at risk.

Our privacy is increasingly vulnerable as we put more trust in companies like Google and AOL, but what’s the solution?

The randomly selected data, which focused on 658,000 subscribers and posted 10 days ago, was among the tools intended for use on the recently launched AOL Research site. But the Internet giant has since removed the search logs from public view.

“This was a screw-up, and we’re angry and upset about it. It was an innocent enough attempt to reach out to the academic community with new research tools, but it was obviously not appropriately vetted, and if it had been, it would have been stopped in an instant,” AOL, a unit of Time Warner, said in a statement.

In one search log, terms such as “how to tell your family you’re a victim of incest,” “casey middle school,” “surgical help for depression,” “can you adopt after a suicide attempt,” “Fishman David Dr – 2.6 miles NE – 160 E 34th St, New York, 10016 – (212) 731-5345,” “gynecology oncologists in new york city,” and “how long will the swelling last after my tummy tuck” appeared in the set of data. (Source: C-Net News.com)

Other View: Plenty of Fish, TechCrunch, Meltin’ Posts