Yahoo Cuts How Long They Retain User Information

For years privacy advocates and the search engines have been waging a war between user's privacy rights and the search engines' right to run a profitable business. While the service that search engines provide is free to users, providing that service is far from free for the company that owns the search engine. All those free services are paid for through advertising. The more accurately target the audience that sees the ad the better the return on investment for the advertiser and the search engine. To that end search engines retain all types of information about the people who use their services. This information according to the search engines is anonymized, meaning that any personally identifying information is removed and your queries can't be tracked back to you personally. I personally have my reservations with that statement since digital information seems to persist even after you supposedly get rid of it. Also the major search providers also provide email services, which means that you might be logged in when you run a search (even if you didn't sign in manually).
While I must admit that collecting demographic information can add to the usefulness of a service as well as profitability to the search provider, many privacy advocates and groups are very concerned with the types of information collected, storage methods, privacy safeguards, and length of time that the information is kept. In answer to at least one of these concerns Yahoo has lessened the amount of time it holds onto user information to 3 months from 13. Currently Microsoft stores data for six months while the giant of search engines Google retains your information for 9 months. Since logic dictates that the longer your information is online the more opportunities criminals and unscrupulous organizations will have to pilfer your private data, let's hope the other search engines soon follow suit, in fact let's hope that they reduce retention time even more. The bottom line though is that aside from complaining to the companies that store your data the only data you really have control over is what is on your local machine and what information you willingly supply by using an online service. Until such time as search engine reduce the amount of time your information is retained your choices are limited to:

1. Keep your cache empty
2. Anonymize your browsing by using a proxy server
   
3. Don't log in to your email account during the same session as any searches that you wish to keep anonymous
4. Don't use the search engine owned by the same company as your email provider
5. Opt out of targetd advertising if available
   
6. Email your favorite search engine provider with your privacy concerns
7. Support one or more of the privacy watchdog groups that exist to protect your privacy
   

Unfortunately not using search engines is just not an option and in order for search engines to remain free they must continue to be funded through advertising. Our best weapons are awarenes and standing up to protect your privacy and freedom. Speak up and be heard!

BBC News - Yahoo throws down data gauntlet
Privacy International - http://pi.gn.apc.org/
Yahoo Privacy Policy - http://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/details.html
Google Privacy - http://www.google.com/privacy.html
MSN Privacy - http://privacy2.msn.com/en-my/fullnotice.aspx
Check out this interesting article at Google Watch - http://www.google-watch.org/bigbro.html

Run a Background Check – On Yourself

Every time you search a telephone number online you get pitched an ad to run a background check on the person you are searching for. Prices for these services can range anywhere from $4.95 to $49.95. What everyone doesn’t know is that you can get a background check on yourself…FOR FREE. Due to the F.A.C.T Act (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act), the same federal law that requires the 3 major credit reporting agencies to provide a free credit report each year also covers other specialty consumer reporting agencies such as ChoicePoint. Not every type of report is subject to the F.A.C.T Act but many are, so if a company provides background/public records searches for hire then they likely have to provide you with the information that they compile about you.

Unlike a credit report, a specialty consumer report may contain a lot of additional information about you including; employment history, public records, check writing history, tenant history, and any insurance claims you’ve made. Another scary fact that many of us are not aware of is that there are databases that report your prescription drug purchases and medical history such as MedPoint, The MIB (Medical Information Bureau not Men in Black) and Intelliscript. The one reassuring point is that these reports are not easily accessible to private individuals other than the individual that the report pertains to. Many of these reports may only legally be supplied (purchased by) businesses and entities with a genuine business reason to obtain them and you must give those businesses permission to obtain the reports.

Just like a credit report these specialty consumer reports may contain errors, especially if you may have been the victim of identity theft. While there are many specialty consumer reporting agencies and listing them all here would be prohibitive I would suggest that you track down the ones you can find, at least the ones listed here and in Fact Sheet 6(b) from Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, and request your copy. Not all reporting agencies get their information from the same source so there may be differences from one report to the next. One final warning before I close: There are a LOT of scammers out there claiming to provide free credit reports or credit monitoring, so check that company out before you supply them with any of your information and NEVER pay for a free credit report. Remember the only official website (required by law) to request your free annual credit report is www.annualcreditreport.com. Specialty consumer reporting agencies are not required to maintain a website to request you file but they should have a toll free number and many do have websites with their contact information. Please see the links below for more information especially the ones for The FTC and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

ChoicePoint http://www.choicepoint.com/index.html

MedPoint http://www.ingenix.com/ContactUs/

MIB http://www.mib.com/html/request_your_record.html

Intelliscript http://www.rxhistories.com/how_it_works.html

Free Credit Report http://www.annualcreditreport.com

The FTC on Your Rights http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/credit/rights.shtm

In Depth Fact Sheet from Privacy Rights Clearinghouse http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs6b-SpecReports.htm

The Patriot Hack - Great Title for a Great Post

I just read a really great blog post. It's actually an article reprinted on one of my favorite blogs, that isn't mine ;) In short the article written by Martin Eberhard, a co-founder of Tesla Motors, details some very useful tips on protecting your privacy online. Some of the comments after the article are quite thought provoking as well. Follow the link at the bottom of this post to the Blog of Tim Ferriss, author of my current favorite book The 4 Hour Work Week.

Click here for Martin Eberhard's article on privacy!

Hidden Safes

I'm sure everyone has seen those wonderful hidden safes, things like beer cans, shaving creme containers and fake electrical outlets...
Well, I have just seen one of the most innovative and hilarious 'hidden safes' EVER! I couldn't seem to get the picture to load here so click on this link --> http://www.spyville.com/brief-safe-underwear.html for a "brief" look at what I'm talking about.
I will do a real 'how to' post on hiding things around the house, but for now a giggle will have to do.