From a Google user in the US

As an end user, I think Google is GREAT.

And probably one of the most secure search engines out there.

If the Devil is in the details then wouldn't there be an Angel in the security strength, I do not care if Google holds my information if that information is held so securely that no one can get to it.

Kudos to Google. I think any site Google holds is indeed held securely.

Thank you all at the Google Team. Keep up the good work.

KCReuss

"I do not care if Google holds my information if that information is held so securely that no one can get to it."

That's got to be the most naive thing I've heard in a long while.

Do you really think your data is secure? All the Justice Dept has to do is go in with a subpoena and poof! How much would a data miner pay for your information? If eBay and PayPal can be cracked, how secure do you think Google is?

There's no such thing as absolute security. I do that for a living and tell my clients exactly that. I can tighten things up, but I can never keep the door from leaking.

Keeping your search history is a good thing, citizen! We only share it with affiliates or anyone else who pays us, but that's only to better target you with advertisements. Surely you want us to build a database on what you do. It's to stop terrorism! And it's for that reason that privacy is double-plus ungood.

who cares, frankly, everything we do these days is recorded and archived in one form or another, just look at club cards

get over the fact data is kept, instead wonder if the data is valid

currently Tesco's must think im an alcoholic vegetarian with a taste for steak.....

truth is that im a tee total omivore......

the point is data will be retained, especially if it will help them make more money, but as i let anyone who asks use my club card, i can be pretty sure that the data gathered about "me" is not reflective

if it bothers you that much, how about you stay offline?, i mean id be very surprised if el reg didn't gather details about frequency/times of day/story category that comments are posted etc

or you could just write an extension for Firefox which will do 10 fake searches on Google using a random word from a dictionary for every genuine search you perform

cry and bitch about ideals or do something about the reality

to paraphrase my grand father :

"wish in one hand, shit in the other, and see which comes true first"

Google is an advertising company. It sells advertising on your computer screen to the highest bidder. It makes its money by keeping a constant salesman by your side, and if he can be looking over your shoulder all the time not just guessing against keywords more money for them. Lets face it would you give all your personal secrets to an ad agency?

Or imagine. You're buying jewellery as a birthday gift. A quick search on the internet and now Google knows. Google will be paid more for jewellery ads (because they have bigger profit margins) - et voila jewellery ads will keep popping up. Now, your wife notices. Except it's not her birthday coming up...

And then imagine if it wasn't jewellery by something more risque?

I'm also sure there are a lot of famous, and not-so-famous, people who wouldn't like Google (or a disgruntled Google employee) to reveal their searches, so Google has to be absolutely double skinned watertight on this if non-anonymous searching is where it thinks the world is going.

The problem with privacy and security is it is limited by the skill of people.

Google is now an email, and apps company. If I choose to use it for things other than searching for information then I am relying both on the integrity of all Google's employees and the benevolence of the government of any country that Google has servers in. Do I trust either, with my day to day personal communication probably yes, there is not much they are likely to be interested in. When it comes to confidential client information or business plans I would expect to trust them to the same degree as I trust postmen around the world not to read my postcards.